My Lucky Rabbit's Foot
by Riku Courtier
Summary: It had been twelve years since Oswald had been taken from his home at Disney Castle, but, when he's rescued by a young girl who claims to had known his father, they must work together to bring down an evil organization and maybe even tie a few loose ends.
1. Chapter 1

A lone rabbit sat dejectedly upon a cold, stone floor. His ebony fur, with only his face showing any white whatsoever, was smothered in caked dirt and dried blood. Probably from the many beatings that he had received in his time of captivity. Clasped to his neck, wrists, and ankles were magic-restraining chains, keeping him from trying to escape from his small prison. His sky blue and black jacket and shorts were tattered and worn, rips and tears being seen on every place imaginable on them. It seemed that they were also a bit too small for him.

Outside of the room, a single torch is lit, allowing a small amount of light to reflect into the cell, the only light, other than his own, that was visible. The rabbit looked up, the light from the fire illuminating his sad aquamarine eyes. That light source, small as it may be, was one of the only things he could grasp onto to keep from losing himself.

He had been trapped in this place for twelve years now. Twelve years since he'd been taken from his family, twelve years since he had seen his father's face, twelve years since they had started trying to make him give in to the darkness inside of him. Twelve years…twelve long, wretched years.

The ones that had taken him…he didn't know who they were. They never showed their faces to him, always hiding away behind their black cloaks. All he knew was that they wanted him to embrace the darkness, probably so they could use him in their evil schemes. They would come, it would seem, every day, beating him and trying to make him give in. But, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Most of the time, he didn't even scream. Though, there were days when he'd wondered if it was even worth trying to resist. But, every time, something would remind him why he needed to keep strong.

In fact, it was now that time of day that they would come. The rabbit could hear a pair of footsteps stomping up to his cell door, quickly putting the keys into the lock, before stepping inside. The rabbit inwardly groaned. He could tell that the one that'd come in was the one that would always beat him the worst. He tensed up as the gruff voice of the man spoke.

"Ah. Oswald. Have you finally decided to come to terms with your fate?"

Oswald glared at him before remarking back with a growl. "Forget it, Blackie! I'm not in the mood for your silly games! How about we just skip the talking this time and just get this over with?"

The man chuckled, before grabbing the small rabbit by the neck, pushing him forcibly against the wall. "Hmph. If that's how you want it, Oswald…_So be it."_

During the abuse that Oswald was going through, he started to feel his darkness trying to consume him, telling him that it would all be over if he just delved in.

"N…no…" he groaned weakly, trying to push the darkness away inside of him. 'I…can't…' he thought, 'I can't…hold it…back…'

'_You can!'_His light told him back. _'Just hold on! It will be over soon.'_

Oswald could feel his body start to ache considerably. He wasn't paying attention to the abuse on the outside, instead, he was struggling with his darkness on the inside.

'**Oswald! You can't hold us back forever! **_**We **_**are the ones who are stronger! We can make you stronger, Oswald! Do you want the power to escape from here? We can give that to you, Oswald! And so much more!' **The rising darkness trying to persuade him made a heavy feeling fall into his heart. But, the light inside of him started to push it back.

'_Oswald! Don't give in! You know what the darkness does to people! You've seen it with your own eyes! You need to stay strong! Think about __him. __What would __he __say if you gave up everything you believed in?' _At those words, Oswald did turn his thoughts to that one person. He stayed focused on him as his internal torment continued on.

'**Oswald!'**

'_Oswald!_

'_**OSWALD!'**_

The torment seemed to last for hours and it was getting to where Oswald didn't think he could take anymore. "No…please…stop…" Oswald gasped out. "Please…"

It was just to the point when Oswald felt that he would pass out that the cloaked man finally left, leaving Oswald bleeding on the floor. The not-so-lucky rabbit struggled to push himself off the ground as he started coughing, blood coming up as he did. He groaned as he managed to push himself up to a sitting position. This beating had been the worst yet, leaving numerous gashes and bruises upon his body, as well as opening up multiple old wounds that had started to heal over time, only to have them breaking open again. Dark blood poured down his face, leaving stains of red on his dirtied white fur, the blood coming from a deep cut on his forehead.

Oswald gasped, as he held his head in his hands, the pain being a little too much to bear, both externally and internally. "C…come on…Ozzie…get ahold of…yourself…you…can't g...give in to…them…not now…" Ozzie could feel hot tears of pain and sorrow start to rise into his eyes as he sat there, leaning against the stone wall behind him. "F…father…if you can…hear me…please…send me help so…I can get out of here…I…don't know…how long I can…stand…this…"

Thoughts of Oswald's father was the other thing that helped Oswald hold onto his light through his terrible struggles. His father, Walt, was the king of Disney Castle…or, the last he remembered anyway. People had always said how brave he was and how his kindness knew no bounds. The rabbit missed his father terribly and he would always hold onto the hope that, someday, his father would come to save him.

The rabbit tried to speak with his father again, this time with more agitation in his tone. "Father…how long must I…be kept here? C…can you even…hear me?" He waited a few seconds, almost half-expecting an answer before he mentally kicked himself angrily. "Of course he…can't hear me! What…could possibly make me think…he can hear me? He's…worlds away from here…leaving me to…rot…in this lousy place!" Oswald sadly sighed again, before closing his eyes, panting out each word as what little strength he had started to come back. "Let's face it. I'm never…getting out of here. Everyone…has probably for…gotten about me by now…_Including Father._"

"**I have **_**not**_** forgotten you, my son." **

Oswald's eyes flew open in shock, the rabbit frantically searching around him, trying to find the source of the voice. "Father?"

"**I'm here."**

The tears that had been held in before were now released as the rabbit cried. "Wh…where?"

Sadness could be heard in the words as the voice answered, "**Unfortunately, I am only here in spirit.**"

It was around now that a cold wind flew around Oswald, before he could feel familiar, warm arms wrap themselves around him, engulfing him. Oswald was sobbing now, as he leaned into his father's embrace happily. "Father…why didn't you…come? I…I've been waiting so long…for you…"

"**I am sorry, Oswald. But, I could not. The darkness clouding this place prevented me from finding you. The only reason I could come now was because I am not of these worlds anymore."**

Oswald gasped, sorrow once again falling onto his face. "Wait…so…you mean…You're not…alive anymore?" he choked out, trying to keep himself calm.

"**I am sorry, Oswald. You must know that I searched for you everywhere. But, during an attack that came upon me, I did not make it. Now, I am only a spirit. But, know this, Oswald, I will never leave you. I will always be with you…and your brother."**

Oswald's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. _Brother?_ "Father…what do you mean…_brother_?"

"**I can say no more, Oswald. My time with you right now is already short. And I have still yet to give you my message."**

"Message…? About…what? And…really? A…_brother_? Father…Please! You must… tell me!"

Walt seemed to ignore the question about his other son, instead just focusing on giving his message. **"In just a few minutes, there will be a young woman who will be breaking into the base you are currently in. She is coming to take you out of here. You are to go with her. Just remember, Oswald, I am **_**always**_** with you. I love you."**

With those last words, Walt's spirit left Oswald alone. "I love you too…Father."

By this time, Oswald's tears had stopped and he felt a little better, knowing that his father had sent him help. But, one thing still bothered him. "I…have a brother?"

Of course, as fate would have it, Oswald didn't get any more time to ponder this valuable piece of information. A commotion sounded outside of Oswald's cell, many voices shouting out things like "Guard the prisoner!" and "Stop her!" More shouts and screams came before things got eerily quiet.

Suddenly, an explosion rang throughout Oswald's cell, a loud crashing following it, along with smoke. Oswald started to cough as the smoke fell into his lungs making it much harder to breath than it was before. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the burning sensation that the smoke was causing.

"Hello? Oswald, are you in here?" A smooth female voice called out into the room.

Oswald opened his mouth to answer, but all that came was another cough. He could hear the girl sigh as footsteps slowly came toward him. "I'd take that as a yes."

By this time, the smoke had cleared, enough so Oswald could see the person that had come to his rescue. Like his father had said, it was a young woman, probably no older than seventeen. She had short hair that reminded him of something he hadn't seen since before the night he was taken. The rising sun. It started as a golden yellow, but gradually changed to a brilliant orange. Her eyes, emeralds shining with relief. A small orange heart was tattooed to her right cheek, a tiny glow emitting from it. Underneath the loose midnight jacket she was wearing was a yellow sleeveless shirt. Adorning her legs was a pair of black pants that had many belts and chains hanging off of them, as well as one or two stripes as well, all of them either orange or black. On her feet were a pair of shoes that resembled his a bit, a little puffy where her toes were, but more clingy towards her ankles. They were striped black and yellow as well.

Lastly, in her hand was a keyblade. The hilt was shaped almost like a half star, its golden color turning to a bright blue as went towards the blade. The blade itself had blue, gold, and sunset colored vines crawling up, around, and out of it, leading to the tip. The tip had what looked like the other half of the star on the hilt, a blue half-heart lying inside of the half star. The keychain had a complete golden star hanging down, with a sky blue heart in the middle of it, like on the end of the blade.

The girl walked towards him, setting her keyblade next to her as she knelt down, her eyes full of concern. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked him. All Oswald did as an answer was glare before he coughed again, blood once again coming out. She winced before she spoke again. "Right…stupid question. Well, just hold on a minute. I'm going to get those chains off of you, alright?"

Oswald nodded as she picked up her keyblade and pointed it at the chains. A bright light illuminated the room before a small click could be heard, followed by clangs as Oswald was freed. "Thank…you…" Oswald said, as he slowly started to push himself up. The girl grabbed him around the waist carefully, helping him to stand. When he almost collapsed again, she helped him stay steady until he nodded at her, letting her know it was alright to let go. "So…what's…your name…?"

The girl smiled. "Alayn. It's Alayn. You're father sent me here to save you."

Oswald shook his head. "But…my father is…dead…how could…he have…sent you?"

Alayn's smile disappeared as she looked away. "I know he's dead. He came to me in a dream. He said for me to come here to find you and get you out."

Oswald nodded. It seemed to make sense. It was a few seconds before he realized what she had said before. "Wait…you said…you _know_…he's dead…How…?"

Alayn shook her head before picking Oswald up and putting him on her back, holding his hands around her neck so he wouldn't fall off. "Now is neither the time nor the place to tell that story. Once we get to a safe place, that's where I'll tell you. Ok, Oswald?"

Oswald sighed. "Alright…but…please…call me…Ozzie. Ok…Alayn…?"

Alayn smiled as she left the small, tore up cell behind. "Ok, Ozzie. Now, hold on."

Oswald nodded slowly as Alayn started tearing through the place, abandoning the wreckage she had caused only minutes earlier. He wasn't sure if she had killed everyone in the base or not, but he didn't want to think about that possibility.

He could feel himself start to lose consciousness as they continued onward. One thought went through his mind as his eyes started to close. 'I'm free. I'm finally free.' It wasn't too long before Oswald succumbed to the sweetness that was a peaceful sleep. The first one that he had had in years.

* * *

><p><strong>RML: Hi Everyone! And, welcome, to the story that has been running in my head for the past 3 days! :D I've been writing almost non-stop in an complete writing boom! :D I'm so excited about this story! So, I hope you guys like this! This story was born through reading a very good Epic Mickey comic on Deviantart, drawn by the artist DelDiz. The talks with her and reading her story helped me to fall in love with Oswald. Then, after looking through fanart with Oswald in Kingdom Hearts attire led me to writing this story. So, as all of you might've guess, this is about Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. ;) So, those of you familiar with his story will understand what some of the things written in here. <strong>

**Oswald: RML, You might want to finish this up. I've noticed that you tend to ramble on in your ANs. **

**RML: I do not! ...*blushes* Ok, maybe I do. But, anyway, Oswald, think you can do the disclaimer and stuff. **

**Oswald: Yeah, sure. Whatever. RML does not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix and Disney do. She also does not own me, Disney does. Thank the good Lord! So glad to finally be does own Alayn though. **

**RML: *huggles Oswald* I'm so glad you're home too! **

**Oswald: Hey! Let go, RML! Seriously! *struggles to get out of grasp, but fails* *sigh* Alright, well, Just read and review. We both love reviews. It makes us both feel loved. **

**RML: Also, if any of you can guess the significance of the title, you all get a digital cookie! ^^**

**Oswald: Oooh! Can I have one? :D Please? **

**RML: *hands one over* Sure thing! ^^**

**Oswald: YAY!  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

The sounds of rushing water could be heard as Oswald slowly started to regain his senses. 'Ugh…how long have I been out?' He asked himself as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but, the longer he kept them open, the more clear things became. Finally, he was able to open his eyes completely, allowing himself to take in his surroundings.

He was lying on the ground, a pile of leaves underneath him, keeping him comfortable. Next thing he noticed was the fire that was crackling and popping a semi-safe distance away, the heat warming him up considerably. He carefully pushed himself up, afraid that his wounds were going to give him trouble. But, when he looked down upon himself, he noticed that he didn't feel any pain at all. In fact, there wasn't a single cut on him. Only his clothes were tore up, the jacket and pants beyond repair.

He sighed blissfully before becoming aware that Alayn wasn't with him. He looked around the small campsite, but couldn't see her at all. Oswald pushed himself up and dusted off the leaves that had clung to him before he went about exploring the clearing. Still hearing the rushing water, Oswald decided to follow it, hoping that he'd find Alayn and possibly even get a drink of the clean goodness, as long as it was just that: clean.

Pushing through the trees and bushes, Oswald eventually found himself at the base of a waterfall. He stood there in awe, watching the clear water come crashing down in all its glory. His eyes followed the waterfall down to a large pool beneath it, and, deciding to get a drink, moved himself towards the edge.

Kneeling down in front of the water, the rabbit looked at his reflection and gasped. He hadn't seen what he looked like for a very long time, so it came as a surprise to see how badly his face was looking. All the wounds were gone, leaving only a thin scar on his forehead, but the blood and dirt were still there. Oswald quickly cupped a little bit of water into his hands before splashing it onto his face, trying his best to wash all of it off. But, it proved to be futile, as the dirtiness still remained.

Oswald sighed. He'd have to bathe himself later. But first, that drink of water was really calling his name. Oswald cupped more water into his hands, before bringing it up to his mouth, savoring the water. Oswald, unfortunately, chose this moment to look up, which, in doing so, caused him to spit-take the water back out and throw his hands over his eyes.

"What in blazes? _Alayn! _"

Yes, Alayn, after having put together the campsite and making sure Oswald had been healed up properly, had decided to take a bath in the large mass of water. She hadn't taken everything off, but had only left her undergarments on, leaving Oswald _very_ embarrassed.

"Alayn, put your clothes back on! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Alayn blushed before getting out of the water. "Sorry Ozzie. I didn't know you'd be up this soon. I just thought I'd get myself cleaned up before lying down." After pulling her over shirt and pants on, she sat down next to Oswald, who had fallen back in surprise. "You can open your eyes now, you know."

Oswald took a quick peek between his fingers before deciding it was safe to look. "My gosh, Alayn. Way to give a first impression. First exploding the door to my cell down, now _this_? Oi vey!"

Alayn giggled as he said this. "What can I say, I like to show off. Though, the second one was your fault."

Oswald gaped at her, astonished. "_My _fault? How is it _my_fault?"

"We-ell, you _were _the one to walk in on me when I was taking my bath." Alayn smirked as Oswald blushed.

"That…_That's _not the point! You should've known I'd be coming here eventually! You couldn't have waited until we got someplace where you could _bathe_ in privacy?" The white of his face having turned as red as a tomato in embarrassment.

Alayn sighed. "It _was_ private. Until you woke up. Other than you, there's no one else in the vicinity. Trust me, I checked."

Oswald sighed in defeat, seeing as she was telling the truth. "Okay. Fair enough. So…how long was I out?"

Alayn scrunched up her face in thought as she dangled her feet over the edge, letting the water cool them. "I'd say almost a day."

Oswald's eyes widened in shock. "A _day_? Are you kidding me?"

Alayn shook her head. "No, actually, I'm not. It took me quite a long time to get us to where we now have our campsite." Alayn looked down at the water, watching her reflection. "You know, when you didn't wake up, I was starting to get worried. After I set up a place for you, I started healing your injuries as quickly as I could, afraid for how little time you might've had." She then smiled, before ruffling the fur on the top of Oswald's head. "But, I guess I didn't have to worry."

Oswald grimaced as she ruffled his fur a bit, before fixing it back. "Well, thanks for getting me out of there. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Ozzie."

The two of them sat there for a little while, enjoying the sounds of the waterfall falling down a little ways from them. The silence that had fallen between them though was disturbed when Oswald groaned. "Aw man!"

Alayn, who had been thinking on different things, turned her attention to the rabbit next to her. "Is everything alright, Ozzie?"

Oswald glared playfully as he answered. "No! I missed out on my drink of water because of you!"

Alayn laughed. "Well, why don't you get one now?"

"I don't want to drink out of there! You were taking a _bath_ in it!"

Alayn thought for a minute before standing up, offering her hand to Oswald, pulling him up to his feet. "Come on, follow me."

Without saying a word, Oswald followed Alayn towards the rushing waterfall. Alayn turned, making sure that Oswald was following her, before walking underneath the gushing water. The rabbit hesitated as he looked upon the large mass crashing down in front of him.

"Ozzie, are you coming?" Alayn called to him, snapping him out of his stupor.

"Yeah, I am." He said before slowly walking underneath the waterfall. When he got completely behind it, he stopped, his mouth wide open in awe.

Behind the waterfall was a beautiful cave, with gems and shining stalactites sticking out of the ceiling and walls. Around him, on the floor were clear pools of water, this water even more clear than the water outside. The light from the stalactites was shining onto the gems, causing them to reflect into the water, giving the cave a colorful glow.

Alayn could see how Oswald was reacting and giggled. "Beautiful, isn't it?" All she got as a response was a nod. "I found this cave after I had set up camp and was exploring the area. I just _knew_ I had to show it to you when you woke up. I figured we could get our drinking water from this cave while we're here. I still need to fill up our canteens though. I didn't want to fill them until we were ready to leave, so the water would be as fresh as possible."

"So, the water is drinkable then? You've checked it?"

"It's the sweetest water I've ever tasted. The water even has healing properties, that's how magical this place and the water are."

Oswald tore his gaze from the cave and walked over to one of the pools, kneeling down before scooping a handful of the water into his mouth. His eyes widened, the flavor of the magical water giving him a renewed strength. With a joyful gleam in his eyes, he drank handful after handful until he sighed in satisfaction. It had been the best water he'd ever tasted, and the only water he'd had in almost a week.

Oswald turned to look at Alayn, and was going to say something when he stopped. "Alayn…what's that on your arms?"

Alayn looked down at her arms before she answered. "Their markings."

Oswald scoffed. "Yes, I can see _that_. But why do you have them on your arms?"

Alayn sighed. "Come on, I'll explain everything when we get back to the campsite. I'll make us something to eat, and then I'll tell you, ok?"

Oswald rolled his eyes before nodding. "Ok, fine. Besides, I'm starving…quite literally, might I add."

It was true. The group that had kept him had only limited his meals to once a week. It had been one of the other ways they'd tried to make him give in. During his time in captivity though, he'd learned to ration his meals to the best of his ability. In a way, the ones that had held him helped him learn some very important lessons in survival skills. But, it still didn't change the fact that Oswald was hungry, his stomach rumbling loudly, as if to make its point.

Alayn laughed when she heard it. "Yeah, I can tell. Don't worry, I'll make us something extra special, or, at least, as special as it gets in a forest."

-Later—

Alayn and Oswald were both back at the campsite, eating the meal of berries, crackers, and jerky that Alayn had put together. Alayn had brought the crackers and jerky with her, but they had had to scavenge for the berries themselves. They ate what they could, making sure to leave just enough for the next few meals they would probably have before making it to their destination. Alayn had yet to tell Oswald about her past and Oswald was getting to where he needed to know or he'd burst. Finally, he spoke up about it.

"Alayn. When are you going to tell me?"

Alayn looked up from her food, giving him a questioning look. "Hmm?"

"Don't _'Hmm'_ me. When are you going to tell me about those markings? _And about my father?"_

Alayn swallowed before sighing sadly. "Ok, I'll tell you. I was hoping I could hold off on it, but I guess now is as good as time as any."

It all started about four years ago…

~Flashback~

"_It was on my thirteenth birthday."_

Balloons, streamers, and chairs are scattered around the front yard of a family of three. Their home, a small village where everyone was familiar with everyone else. A place where everybody got along.

"_I had just made my wish and blown out the candles, when a horse and its rider came clamoring up to us. He was dressed in a brown cloak, but, underneath, I could see the face of a kind, middle-aged man. He smiled at me before speaking, an air of royalty in his voice."_

"_That was my father!" Oswald cried._

_Alayn nodded, "Yes, it was. Now…where was I…? Oh yes, I remember. Anyway, He smiled at me, before asking…"_

"Now, how old are you, young lady?"

A younger version of Alayn grins up at him, proudly answering. "I'm thirteen!"

The king chuckles. "And what is your name, dear one?"

"Alayn."

"Well, Alayn," he started, reaching into his cloak before pulling out a small necklace with a deep blue key hanging down. "Happy Birthday."

"_Wait a second…it was a necklace with a blue key on it?"_

_Alayn nodded. "Yes. I still have it with me, after all those years."_

_Oswald nodded before motioning for her to continue._

"_After giving me the necklace, he moved on to go talk with my parents. I heard him mention something about his son and I walked over to them."_

"Thank you so much for the necklace, your majesty."

The king eye's widened before he knelt down to me, so we were eye to eye. "How did you know I was royalty?"

"Well, you came riding in on a horse, your clothes underneath your cloak seem like something that a king or prince would where, and I could just feel an air of royalty about you when you spoke."

He ruffled young Alayn's hair, "My, you sure are a bright, young girl, aren't you?" His eyes became sad as he added something at the end. "You remind me of my son."

"_Which son was he talking about?" Oswald interrupted for the third time._

"_I would assume he was talking about you. Now, are you going to let me finish?"_

_Oswald nodded. "Yes, sorry." _

"_It's quite alright."_

The now-thirteen year old girl saddened when she saw the look the king was making. "What happened to him?"

"He was taken from me several years ago. I've been searching for him ever since. Though, I have gone back home every so often to look after my _other_ son as well."

Alayn nodded. "You must miss him very much."

He sighed. "I do. Very much so. I wish I knew where he was so I could find him and bring him home."

The girl cutely scrunched up her face in thought. "Well, maybe I can help!"

"Alayn!" her mother cried.

The king shook his head. "I wouldn't want you to get hurt. It is much too dangerous for such a beautiful young girl like you."

Alayn shook her head. "But I can help! I know how to fight! Daddy taught me how!"

"And I believe that you can. But, you're just too young."

Alayn angrily glared at her parents and him. "Why does everyone _always _say that?" She started to imitate her parents as she continued. " 'You're too young.' 'You aren't strong enough.' 'You'll only get in the way' I am more than capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much! What am I going to have to do to prove it to you?"

Her daddy tried to calm her down, "Alayn…please. Don't…"

Alayn pulled back, as her daddy tried to reach for her hand."No! I'm tired of people always saying that I can't do these things when I know that I can! And I'm going to _prove_ it to you!"

After saying that, she ran off, pushing past the other young adults and children, making her way to the forest.

"Alayn! No!" her mother called out, clearly distressed.

The king didn't waste any time chasing after her. "Don't worry, I'll bring her back!"

Alayn was angrily stomping through the forest that lay about her. She didn't know where she was going, but, at that point and time, she didn't care. "Why can't anyone ever believe me when I say I can do these things? I know that I can. I just need them to see that fact."

Unfortunately, Alayn wasn't watching where she was going and she tripped over a dark blob that lay on the dirty ground. "Oof! Hey! Watch where you're…uh oh…"

Alayn quickly got back up and backed away, terror running over her features as the dark blob rose up from the ground, taking the shape of a small ebony humanoid, with yellow eyes staring back at her.

"_The heartless?" Oswald asked._

_Alayn nodded. "Yes. The heartless."_

Alayn gasped, her eyes widening in fear, before she searched frantically around her, trying to find a weapon to protect herself with. Her eyes landed on a stick laying a short ways from her. Right as she reached for it, the shadow heartless pounced, more than ready to take her heart.

Alayn fell backwards just in the nick of time, holding the stick in front of her. The heartless started clawing at her and the stick, tearing it apart in her hands. It wasn't too long before more crowded around, surrounding her. They all started inching towards her. Alayn screamed and closed her eyes, thinking for sure that this would be the end.

But, when she didn't feel anything, she opened them again. Standing before her was the king, a large key in his hand, acting as a sword. Alayn didn't move, in fear that he was angry with her.

But, when he turned around and knelt down in front of her, his face only showed worry. "Are you alright, Alayn?"

Alayn nodded, still in shock about her almost losing her heart.

The king sighed in relief. "Ok, let's get you home then."

Alayn nodded again, standing up and taking his hand. But, after taking a few steps, Alayn started to feel woozy. Swaying a bit back and forth, Alayn soon fell over, letting go of the king's hand.

"_Wait a minute. So, what do you mean? Did you end up losing your heart after all?" Oswald asked, panic evident in his voice. _

_Alayn looked at Oswald, a look of indignation on her face. "If I had lost my heart, do you really think I would be here before you, telling you this?"_

_Oswald blushed, embarrassed that he had forgotten that small detail. "Um…"_

_Alayn sighed. "Anyways, when I fell unconscious…"_

Alayn felt like she was falling before she gently landed on a stain glass platform. The platform had her in the middle of it, her eyes closed, and, in her hands, a sky blue heart. Around her on the platform, there were multiple silhouettes on it, one of which looked like a rabbit, another, a mouse, and then, another, a crown. One face she could make out, other than her own, was the king that had been so kind to her since the minute he had seen her.

Alayn didn't know what she was to do, seeing as there was no way off the platform, other than jumping. And she didn't want to risk that. Suddenly, around her, three smaller platforms rose up, an object laying on each of them. Then, a voice rang out.

"**Alayn, you must choose which one to give up. There are three objects around you, each representing something that is within your heart. You must choose."**

Alayn, not really knowing what else to do, decided to listen to the voice and walked up to the first one: A sky blue heart, much like the one the stained glass version of her was holding.

"A…heart?" Alayn whispered, her hand reaching for it, only to hesitate and bring it back. She had a feeling the heart was something very important.

She shook her head before moving on to the next object: A sword and shield, both colored bright gold and white. She gazed questionably at it, wondering its significance, before backing away. Something in her heart told her she'd need these ones.

With that thought, she turned to the last one: A porcelain doll wearing a white dress. She closed her eyes before picking it up, her decision made.

"**You give up the doll?" **

With a nod and a "Yes.", the doll vanished from her hands.

"**You kept the heart, which will give you the power to save someone who will not only be dear to you, but is already dear to someone else you know. You also kept the sword and shield, which will not only give you the courage to stand up for what's right, but will also give you the strength to protect those you love. You gave up the porcelain doll, which represented your child-like innocence. Giving up this means you are to grow up faster than other people your age. Events in the near future will cause you to lose this innocence inside of you. Now, Alayn, your destiny awaits you. But, do not fear. For you possess the strongest weapon in all the worlds."**

Immediately after the voice finished, the platform shattered from underneath Alayn, causing her to scream before landing painfully on another platform where a giant heartless stood before here, aimed and ready to strike.

"_Wait a second…you went into Deep Dive?" Oswald asked._

"_Yes, I did. But…Oswald, how do you know what Deep Dive is?"_

_Oswald grinned. "Because I've also been there. All Keyblade Bearers go into Deep Dive when they receive their keyblades."_

_Then it dawned on Alayn. "You're a Keyblade Bearer as well, then."_

_Oswald nodded in confirmation. _

"_Well, since you probably already know what happens next, I'll just skip to when I woke up, alright?"_

"_Alright."_

After having fought the giant heartless, Alayn woke up to the sounds of battle. The king was standing over her protectively, battling a huge amount of heartless. Alayn gasped before jumping to her feet, rushing in to help the older man.

"Alayn!" the king yelled, the fear of her getting hurt evident.

"Don't worry about me, your majesty! Focus on the heartless!" Alayn yelled as she summoned her keyblade, Astral Love. The king was surprised when she did, but he soon turned back to the fight when a heartless narrowly missed him.

It was only a matter of minutes before all the heartless had been destroyed, leaving Alayn and the king gasping for breath from the strain the fight forced upon them. "I" pant… "told you" pant… "I could take care of myself." Alayn said, trying to catch her breath.

The king was breathing heavily as well, thinking about how things had changed in only a matter of minutes. He couldn't tell whether it was for better or for the worst, but, he finally reached an internal decision, walking over and setting his hand on Alayn's shoulder.

"Alayn."

"Yes, sir?" Alayn looked up into his eyes. She could see that he had something important to tell her.

"Alayn, against my better judgement, I would like for you to come with me."

Alayn's eyes widened in excitement before she threw her arms around him. "Really? You really mean it? Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!" She started jumping up and down with each thank you.

The king laughed as she did, amused by her excitement. "Now Alayn, you know you are going to need proper training with that keyblade of yours. And, as far as I know, I think I'm the only one who can train you as of right now. I believe that, once you've had the right training, you will be a great help to me in my search for my son."

Alayn nodded in understanding. "Ok, don't worry! I'll do my very best! You can count on me, sir!"

Another chuckle. "Please, call me Walt."

Alayn nodded again before repeating his name. "Walt. Okay. Walt, I believe that, together, we can do this! You won't be alone after this, I promise! I won't leave you!"

Walt smiled happily, Alayn's enthusiasm rubbing off on him. "Alright, well, I guess we'd better get back to your parents and tell them, am I right?" He said, leading the way back to the village.

"Ye-ah…They aren't going to be too happy about this…are they?"

"They probably won't." He laughed as Alayn made a face at his answer. "Don't worry, Alayn. Everything will be fi-oh my…"

Alayn struggled to push herself in front of Walt, trying to see what he saw."What? What is going…no…NO!" Alayn cried out.

~Flashback cut off~

It had been a few minutes and Alayn hadn't said a word to Oswald, instead, just staring into the open air, her eyes full of hurt and her mind lost to her memories. Oswald was starting to grow concerned for his new friend, wondering if she was alright.

'What kind of memories could trigger a reaction like this?' He thought as he slowly walked over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Alayn…are you ok?" He asked quietly.

Oswald immediately got a reaction from her. Though, it wasn't the one he was expecting. She pulled him closer to her, holding him in a tight hug and crying into his shoulder. "Oswald, my parents…they…they…"

Oswald was surprised about the sudden movement, but he hugged her back, helping give her the comfort she needed.

They sat there like that for a little while, a somber silence falling over them both. Oswald had a suspicion of what exactly had happened to her parents. Once he felt that she had calmed down enough, he asked her. "They got them, didn't they? The heartless, I mean."

Alayn nodded sadly, a few tears still falling. "Not just them. Everyone in my village. We later found out that the very heartless we had fought in the woods had been them in heartless form."

"Alayn…if talking about this is going to be painful for you, we can stop talking about it for now. I'll understand." Oswald offered to her, understanding the pain she was feeling.

Alayn nodded. "Ok. Thank you. I'll tell you more later, ok?"

"Okay. So…about the necklace…um…"

Alayn smiled, glad for the change of subject. "It's yours, isn't it?"

Oswald grinned. "How did you know?"

Alayn pulled out the necklace, the blue of the key shining in the light of the fire. It had gotten dark as she had told her story. "I had a feeling it was." She held it out to him, a soft smile upon her face. "Here, take it. It's only right."

Oswald could feel tears of his own come to eyes as he gently took the necklace, holding it to his chest, a small smile upon his face. "Thank you, Alayn. This necklace is very special to me. My father had it made for me when I got my keyblade."

"Ozzie…I think that your father wanted me to give it to you after I saved you. I think he somehow knew that I would be the one to get you out." Alayn said before yawning. "Wow, it's gotten late, hasn't it?"

Oswald yawned as well before agreeing with her. "Yeah, it has. We should probably get some sleep. We're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. We need to keep going. There's a transport gummie ship that can get us off this world that will be arriving in about 3 days in a small village a day's walk from here. We'll have to be careful though. I don't know if we're being watched and I don't want to run into any of the ones who took you.

"I couldn't agree with you more. Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning, ok Alayn?" Oswald said as he went to lie down on his leaf pile.

"Yeah, goodnight Ozzie." Alayn said as she laid down on her own pile, staring up into the stars that were shining between the trees. She could hear Oswald's snores coming from next to her, and, turning over, she could see the necklace clasped around his neck, his hands holding onto it like it was a lifeline. She smiled sadly before looking back to the stars. "Mom…Dad…I love you…and…I'm sorry." She whispered before she felt herself fall into sleep as well.

* * *

><p><strong>RML: Aren't writing booms just Awesome? :D It makes me sooooo happy! X3 After this gets posted, I'll start writing chapter 3. This are just flowing beautifully! ^^<strong>

**Alayn: RML...why did you have to put me through that torture? **

**RML: For three reasons. 1. For your character development. 2. To help the story flow more. and 3. Because I'm the authoress and I can. **

**Alayn: *pouts* **

**RML: So, anyways, the first chapter got a lot of hits, but I only got one review! What gives, people? D: I have it set on anonymous! You can review! Please tell me what you think! They help give me inspiration. Also, if ya'll have any ideas for this, let me know! I'm open to them. I'm mostly winging this, so ideas from ya'll would be absolutely great! But, anyways, Alayn! Could you do the disclaimer this time and also thank our one reviewer?**

**Alayn: Yeah. Sure. RML doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, or Walt Disney. She does own the Keyblade that I use and she also owns me. Also, we would like to thank Shadow Commando for being the first reviewer of this story. We have to ask the rest of you though to, please, read and review! It helps us all when she gets them, because it puts her in a good mood. Thanks!  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

It was about an hour until the sun would rise and both Alayn and Oswald were soundly sleeping. Well, they were until Alayn bolted upright in a cold sweat. She could feel tears streaming down her face as she held her head in her hands. She sighed softly as she thought back to the nightmare she had just relived. 'Again. Wow…it's been awhile since I've dreamt of that.' Another sigh. 'I haven't dreamt of that…since I pushed those horrible memories away.'

Alayn glanced towards Oswald. He was lying sprawled out on his leaves, his necklace clutched to his heart and a little bit of drool hanging from his open mouth. Alayn sadly smiled before she, as silently as possible, got up and left the campsite. She quietly pushed her way through the trees, making her way back to the waterfall, hoping to clear her mind of the pain.

When she arrived at the spot her and Oswald had sat down at yesterday to talk, she made herself comfortable, pulling her knees to her chest before looking to the stars. "So many worlds out there. I can recognize some of them, but…I know of one world that won't be there, no matter how much I look…" She said, her nightmare playing through her head again.

-Meanwhile, back at the campsite—

Oswald slowly opened his eyes before rubbing the sleep from them. He had slept well again that night, but, he wasn't so sure if Alayn had. Multiple times during the night, he had heard mumbling and even muffled sobs coming from her side of the fire, which had gone out hours ago.

Oswald looked towards her sleeping area and saw she was nowhere to be found. "Alayn?" he asked, wondering if she was close by. When he didn't hear an answer from her, he got up and left their clearing, ready and willing to search for her and give her any comfort she would need.

When he arrived at the base of the waterfall, where the pool was, he could hear her voice, a hint of sadness in it. Carefully as to not disturb her, he edged himself towards the bushes, intent on eavesdropping on what she was saying. He didn't want to pry her later when she was so openly speaking from her heart _now_. So, sitting silently, he started listening in.

Alayn sighed. "Walt…Mom…Dad…I feel so lost. I don't understand! How can I protect the people I love if I couldn't even protect you? I left so angrily from you, Mom, Dad, that I didn't even get to tell you goodbye or that I was sorry. And you, Walt, I…I just don't know anymore. I'm so afraid that I can't protect Oswald or anyone else! Walt, you always told me that our true strength came from our heart and our friends…but…why is it that I couldn't protect you when the time came for me to? Is it that I just wasn't ready…or was it because my heart wasn't strong enough? And, if the latter was the case, then who to say that I won't be strong enough to protect Oswald when I have to? What if I lose him like I lost you and my parents? What would I do then? I…I'd be all alone…Oh…I'm…so scared…" During her heart pouring, her tears started to flow faster and she was sobbing and crying out by the end, her head laying on her knees and her tears soaking through her pants.

Oswald didn't know what to do. Here was the girl that had come to save him, and who had tried to stay so strong the day before, only to have her break down _twice_ in one night. He was afraid to come out, in fear that she would be angry with his eavesdropping, but, in a way, he didn't care. She needed him then and there and, gosh darn it, he was going to be there for her!

Oswald rose himself up from his hiding spot and crept his way over to Alayn, careful as to not make too much noise, in fear of startling her. When he got behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, scaring her slightly, before she turned and sobbed into his embrace.

"I…just don't know what to do…Ozzie…I…"

He shushed her gently as he rubbed his hand on her back in circles, trying to calm her down. "You don't have to say a word, Alayn. I know. Shh shh, it's alright."

While Oswald held her, he started humming softly, the song being one his father used to sing to him to calm him down. Soon, he whispered out the words, singing them slightly.

_Be brave little one_

_Make a wish for each sad little tear_

_Hold your head up_

_Though no one is near_

_Someone's waiting for you_

_Don't cry little one_

_There'll be a smile where a frown used to be_

_You'll be part of the love that you see_

_Someone's waiting for you_

_Always keep a little prayer in your pocket_

_And you're sure to see the light_

_Soon there'll be joy and happiness_

_And your little world will be bright_

_Have faith little one_

_Till your hopes and your wishes come true_

_You must try to be brave little one_

_Someone's waiting to love you_

The longer Oswald sang to her, the more Alayn calmed down, her breathing soon becoming even. Oswald smiled as he looked down at her. "Now, are you alright?"

Alayn nodded. "Yeah…I will be." She replied as she smiled back. "Thank you, Ozzie."

"Listen, Alayn. Don't worry about this, alright? If anything, I'll probably be the one protecting _you_. So, don't fret." He said, as he released his hold on her, scooting over so he was next to her.

"But…Ozzie, what if I mess up? What if…"

Oswald sighed. "Alayn, don't play the "what if" game. It won't do you any good and it'll only make things harder. Trust me on this, Alayn. I know…"

Alayn sighed through her nose. "Yeah, I know. You're right…but…I'm just scared, ya know?"

Oswald scoffed. "And you think I'm _not_? I was the one being held against my will for twelve years, every day being unsure if I would see the light of day again. And, personally, I think I might have more reason to be scared than you."

Alayn turned her eyes to Oswald, glaring. "And why would you say that? You think I haven't had _my_ share of trials? I lost my parents, lost my home, lost your father, who ended up taking care of me for three and a half years…I've lost almost everything…At least you still have family that is alive…"

Oswald turned his gaze down, her words getting to him. He _was_ lucky to have at least _someone_ of his own blood alive out there. Alayn didn't have anyone…That's when Oswald swore to himself, that he would always be there for her, not matter what happened. He had barely realized it, but Alayn seemed almost like a sister to him, even if he had only known her for a day and a half. He would watch out for her, as he was sure she would do for him.

Oswald smiled at these thoughts before following Alayn's gaze towards the rising sun. At the sight of the sun coming over the trees, Oswald and Alayn gasped in spellbound awe. The rising sunlight was reflecting onto the waterfall, making it look like gold was falling down from the cliff the water was falling from. The sight made Oswald remember something his father had said to him a long time ago, when they had been watching a sunrise that was much like this one.

"Another sunrise, another new beginning." He said in awe of the beautiful light.

Alayn looked down at Oswald, confused. "What?"

Oswald looked back up at her, the sun reflecting a hope inside of his eyes, a hope that hadn't been there for a long, long time. "My dad used to say that a sunrise was like a new beginning, always bringing on a new day." Oswald beamed, "I think that's something that we _both_ need." Oswald jumped to his feet, holding his hand out to Alayn. "So, what do you say? Are you with me?"

Alayn looked at his hand for a moment before grasping onto his, a laugh escaping her. "Yes! I'm with you all the way, Ozzie! Let's do this!"

It had been hours since their moment on the edge of the pool. They had since left it behind, having filled their canteens up with the healing waters and cleaned themselves up before getting themselves on the road. The two of them seemed to be in higher spirits, telling jokes and funny stories to each other to past the time.

Oswald laughed uncontrollably, almost falling over as Alayn was telling him the story of her 16 birthday. "So...hahaha…he really….haha…said that?"

Alayn nodded, unable to answer from her laughter. "Yeah! He was all like," she started imitating Walt's voice as she continued, 'Is there anything on this menu that is not swimming in gravy?' and I was all like, 'No, I don't think there is. And please don't mention to anyone it's my birthday. I really don't want to end up like that woman that was here earlier.' I had told Walt. And, you know what he did?"

Oswald had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard when he happily choked out his answer. "He did it anyway?"

"He did it anyway! He started pointing at me and yelling all around him that it was my birthday! I took all of my willpower _not_ to hide underneath the table! And then all the restaurant workers came over, putting this humongous cake in front of me and started singing their version of the happy birthday song off-key. I felt like I was going to die from the embarrassment, especially when they put that hugely decorated hat on my head!" Alayn had been telling Oswald of the different adventures that Walt and her had had together, and the one she was currently telling him had taken place in Emperor Kuzko's world.

Oswald had fallen over from his laughing by now. "Oh man." He said as he wiped the tears away from his eyes, "That's just too much! I wish I could've been there!" His expression turned somber though as he continued. "I feel like I've missed out on a lot with my father. I miss him…I wish I could see him again…just one more time."

Alayn stopped and turned back to him. "Ozzie, remember what you said to me this morning? We both need a new beginning. Your father wouldn't want you to be sad when you have so much to be happy about."

Oswald nodded, his smile returning. "Yeah. You're right. I need to think positive. For him." 'And for you.' He added in his thoughts.

"Now, come on! We're almost to that bridge I was telling you about. Once we get over that, we'll only be a mile away from the town. Then we can get settled in a room at the inn, get some supplies, and even get you some new clothes too."

Oswald's eyes went wide before he jumped in front of her, excitement on his face. "You really mean that?"

Alayn's face gleamed, "Yep! Walt left me with enough munny to last us both awhile. Which means getting you what you need. Does that make you happy?"

"Does it make me ha…Of course it does! I'm more than ready to get out these. I don't feel clean wearing the same clothes for the past 12 years, even if they are slightly cleaner from when I washed them this morning."

Alayn's eyes widened. "Wait…so they…?"

"Nope."

"Well…that sucks."

"Really? I didn't notice." Oswald commented sarcastically.

"Well, I didn't know what else to say to that."

Oswald sighed before continuing on. "Yeah, well, let's just get there as quickly as possible. A bath with soap and a change of clothes sound like a Godsend right now."

"I couldn't agree more." Alayn agreed as they made it to the cliff where the bridge was. Alayn kept her eyes out for it as they walked along the edge. "Now…where is that bridge at?"

Oswald searched as well before seeing it a short ways to the right of them. He pointed it out as he exclaimed, "Hey, Alayn! I think I found it!"

Alayn turned and grinned. "Yep! That's it! Come on!" She shouted to him as she ran towards it.

Oswald followed her, but stopped before he started crossing after her. "Um…Alayn…are you sure it's safe?"

Alayn had already started across when she turned back to him. "Of course it is! I had to cross over it not four days ago. I promise you, there isn't a thing wrong with this bri-Aaah!" Alayn yelled as she fell through the board she'd turned back onto, her hand clinging to the rope of the bridge the only thing keeping her from falling down the deep chasm. "Oswald!"

"Alayn!" Oswald exclaimed when he saw her fall, quickly throwing all sense out the window as he crossed the bridge to her side, struggling to try and pull her up. "In all the worlds, Alayn! Why are you so heavy?"

Alayn glared up at him irately. "Are you calling me fat?"

Oswald rolled his eyes as he pulled. "No, I'm just saying that I can't pull you up! How about helping me out a little bit here?"

Alayn pulled her other hand up, grabbing hold of the other rope holding them and started pulling herself up, Oswald helping her up as best he could. Finally, she was back on the safety of the bridge, the two of them panting heavily.

"Ok…maybe I got a little over excited." Alayn commented as she started across again, this time more slowly.

"You _think_?" Oswald said, his voice full of contempt.

"Ok, I was really over excited. There, _happy_?" Alayn asked as they got to the half-way point of the small bridge. "This just means we'll have to be careful as we cross."

Oswald nodded as he watched where he was stepping, making sure to overstep the ones that looked too old and worn. He let out an "Oof!" though, as he bumped into Alayn, who had stopped in front of him. "Alayn!" No answer. "Alayn? What is it?"

When she didn't answer or make a move to keep going, Oswald pushed himself past underneath her arm. What he saw made him stop in his tracks before he growled, his teeth bared. "_You!_" For across, on the other side of the bridge, was one of the cloaked ones that had kept him captive.

The black cloaked man chuckled evilly as he answered back. "Yes, Oswald. _Me._ Did you really think your friend had killed all of us? There are more of us out there than you could ever imagine!"

Oswald's growl grew louder as he summoned a dark blue and silver Kingdom Key, a small rabbit silhouette hanging on the end of the keychain. "You're not taking me again! And I won't let you hurt Alayn!"

The man smirked as he brought his hand up, sparks of electricity coming off of his fingertips. Oswald was shocked, but he quickly hid it behind a glare. "You wouldn't _dare._"

The man laughed maniacally, as if the rabbit's threat didn't worry him in the slightest. "_Yes. I would." _

After he said that, he put his hand out in front of him, shooting lightning out towards one of the ropes supporting the far side of the bridge, causing it to swing dangerously and Oswald to slip, his keyblade disappearing when he lost his footing. The only thing that saved him was Alayn grabbing ahold of one of his ears as he almost fell to his death

Oswald cried out in pain as Alayn pulled him back up, allowing him to grab one of the ropes. He glared at her as she grinned sheepishly only for them to cry out again as the cloaked man hit the other rope with another lightning strike, causing it to finally snap, sending the bridge down to the cliff side, the two of them screaming as it fell. It bounced off a couple of times, jarring them a little bit and leaving the two of them very disoriented. It was during this moment of weakness that the cloaked man reached down and pulled Oswald up by the ears, causing him to yell out as the man pulled him up to be eye to eye with him.

"Oswald!" Alayn cried as she quickly regained her bearings. She tried to scramble up to him, but her foot was caught between the wall and wood, hurting her ankle as she tried to move it free. "No! Oswald!" She cried in desperation.

"Now then, I'm going to make sure once and for all you take on the darkness!" He yelled as a dark power started to emanate from his hand, hurting Oswald as he put it to the rabbit's chest.

Oswald at first whimpered, but very quickly, his whimpers turned to very loud, painful screams as he could feel the darkness surround his heart, his light barely able to push it away. Oswald was losing strength fast as he struggled, trying to get free from the darkness creeping up inside of him, pain flooding his vision.

Just as it seemed like the end for him, a new voice spoke up, an air of confidence and anger filling the voice. "_Hey! Let. The. Rabbit. Go."_

The man turned, seeing a girl in front of him. She had long, black hair with red highlights in it; angry, purple eyes shining through between them. Adorning her shoulders was a red hoodie sweatshirt, a light gray tank top barely peeking out from underneath. Her right hand was wrapped in white bandages, probably from a past injury that had yet to heal. On her legs, a pair of tan pants and dark, brown boots on her feet. Completing her ensemble was a pendant of a sun, a gold chain keeping it around her neck. In her hands, aimed directly towards the man's heart, was a bow, an arrow of light notched to it and, around her waist, a sword with a red, jeweled hilt.

The man flinched when he saw the arrow, but his voice was calm as he questioned her. "Now, who are you to interfere with our plans?"

The girl scoffed, keeping her aim at him at all times. "That's none of your concern."

"Oh, I would think it-Ouch!" the man cried as a medium-sized ferret-like creature bit him on his ankle, causing him to release his hold on Oswald, who fell to the ground, unconscious. The creature crawled quickly up his cloak, before starting to claw at the man's face. "Will. You. Get. Off. Of. Me?" He yelled as he unknowingly started to back away towards the cliff. "I said…_Get Off!"_ He was able to pull the small thing free of his face, soon realizing that the light arrow was coming right at him. It hit him square in the chest, causing him to reel back and lose his balance, going over the side.

Alayn watched from down below as the man fell, screaming down the cliff. She turned her eyes away, unable to watch, instead, looking up towards the top-edge of the Cliffside. "Oswald! Are you alright?"

The girl at the top put her bow back before she made her way over to where the bridge used to stand, looking down to see a girl who looked to be a few years older than her, stuck on the broken bridge. "Hey! Are you alright? Do you need any help?" She called.

Alayn called back up, as she tried to pull her foot out again. "I think I do! My foot is stuck!"

The girl nodded before turning to the marten beside her. "Mark, go down there and help that young girl, alright? I'll watch over the rabbit."

Mark mock saluted her before he started to climb down. "Aye, Aye Cap-i-tan!"

The larger-than-normal marten swiftly climbed his way down with ease, arriving in front of the older girl in no time flat. "Alright, so let's see what the damage is here." He gazed down at her foot, seeing how it was stuck between two boards, pushing it painfully against the cliff wall. Something clicked in Mark's brain as he looked over it. "Ok, I see what the problem is here." He turned his head to Alayn. "Alright, gir-"

"Alayn." She corrected.

"Right, _Alayn_, I'm going to need you to lift up on this board right here." He said, pointing at the one that was on top of her trapped appendage. Alayn did so without saying a word, pulling the board up until it would go no farther. It still wasn't enough though. Mark "hmm'd" in thought when he realized it didn't work.

"Ok, it looks like we'll have to break it off the ropes. Here, I'll get behind it and push, while you pull, alright? Alayn nodded as Mark got himself positioned behind the board, putting his back to the cliff and his feet to the wood. "Ok, pull!" he yelled. The two of them pulled/pushed on the board, the supporting rope soon letting it break away, allowing Alayn to pull herself free.

"Alright!" Alayn yelled happily, as the marten scampered up her shoulder, holding on as she started to climb her way back up, the rest of the boards acting as a ladder to the top.

When she got to the top, the girl came to her side and helped her get up and over. The girl noticed a large, black bruise forming over the ankle that had been trapped as Alayn quickly limped over to where Oswald lay on the ground, his breathing irregular and terrible pain clouding his features. "Hey," The girl said, as she kneeled down next to Alayn, "do you need a Hi-potion or something? I think I have an extra one here if you need it."

Alayn shook her head as she reached for her canteen from beneath her jacket. "No, it's fine. I've got it." Alayn uncapped the water container and took a swift drink of it, the bruise disappearing almost instantaneously. She then sealed hers back up before grabbing Oswald's canteen and opening it. "Hey, could you help me?"

The girl nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to hold his head up slightly so I can give some of this to him."

"Just what is it though?"

"Healing water."

The red-clad girl nodded, going around so she could hold his head up without hurting him. Alayn opened his mouth slightly, before putting the canteen to his lips and pouring the water down a little bit at a time, the other girl leaning his head back to help him swallow it as it went down.

It wasn't too long before the water started to take effect, the painful expression leaving his face and his breathing evening out. He grimaced before opening his eyes. Oswald pushed himself up into a sitting position, his hand clutching his chest where he had been attacked. He grimaced again before he spoke, his words coming out slowly.

"Alayn…What happened…?"

Alayn frowned. "Don't you remember? One of those black-cloaked men attacked us."

Oswald hissed in slight pain before he answered. "I…remember that…but, I…don't remember what happened…after that."

"We saved you, rabbit!" the marten yelled, jumping in front of Oswald, who, in turn, yelped in surprise. "You gave us _quite_ a scare there."

Oswald's eyes turned hostile as he gazed upon the mysterious creature in front of him. It looked like a ferret, but its size proved otherwise, for it was as big as a full grown cat and was walking on its two back legs. It was a dark gray color, amber eyes staring back into his, matching Oswald's glare. It had a long, bushy tail that almost resembled a squirrel's. A long, pointed nose stuck out of its elongated face, three whiskers sticking out of either side. A red scarf was wrapped around its neck and, lastly, it had a pair of red and black goggles on top of its head.

The oversized marten crossed his arms, giving Oswald a look that said, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Oswald mimicked the action, giving him the same look.

Alayn and the girl both shook their heads. 'Boys.' Alayn put her hand on Oswald's shoulder, his muscles relaxing under her touch. "Ozzie, this is Mark and this is…"

The girl moved into Oswald's line of sight, giving him a smile as she did. She continued where Alayn left off. "Kyra. We were passing by, on the way to the village, when we heard you two and that cloaked man yelling. We came to see what was going on and saw you were in trouble. So, we helped you."

Oswald nodded, never once taking his eyes off of Mark, who stuck his tongue out at him. "Well, thank you for that. I don't know what would've happened to us if you hadn't."

Alayn looked down at this, tears brimming her eyes. "Ozzie…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I guess my heart _isn't_ strong enough to keep you safe."

The rabbit looked to her, taking her hand as he calmed her. "Alayn, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything."

"Yes I could've! If only I could've gotten my foot free in time…"

Kyra was unsure of whether she should step in on their private conversation, but when Alayn said those last words, she decided to speak up. "You couldn't help it, Alayn. Even the most strongest of warriors get caught in a tight spot from time to time. Besides, you're all safe now and that's all that matters."

Alayn smiled, "Thank you, Kyra."

Mark walked over to Kyra, briskly climbing up to her shoulder, before stretching out his limbs. "Well, I guess we'd better be going."

"Mark's right. We should go."

Alayn stood up after them, catching Kyra by the arm as she started to walk away. "Wait!"

Kyra turned back to Alayn. "Yes?"

Alayn smiled before she answered. "Why don't you come with us?"

Mark and Oswald both jolted up, surprise and exasperation evident on their faces. "_What?_" the two cried in tandem.  
>Alayn and Kyra ignored them, Kyra smiling before nodding. "You know what, that sounds good. Thanks."<p>

"Hello? Anyone in there? Kyra! We don't need them to come with us! We'll be just fine." Mark said as he knocked on Kyra's head, as if to see if she even had a brain.

Oswald stood up after Alayn, pulling her away as he excused them for a minute, dragging her a short distance away to talk with her. "Alayn, are you _crazy_? We don't know those people, we just met them! Who's to say they're trustworthy?"

Alayn crossed her arms at Oswald, "Look, Ozzie. I know what I'm doing. We could use allies like them. They're strong. We can all watch each other's backs."

Oswald sighed, "Alayn…"

"Oswald, if this is about your dislike of Mark, you're just going to have to deal with it, because they're coming with us. Whether you like it or not."

Oswald sighed again, this time in defeat. "Oh, alright."

Alayn turned to go back to Kyra, before looking back at Oswald, "Oh, and Ozzie?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to kill him."

Oswald groaned before huffing out a "_Fine_."

Kyra looked up from talking with Mark, seeing that Alayn and Oswald were coming back towards them. "So, is it alright?"

Alayn nodded, a grin plastered on her face. "Yep!"

Kyra grinned before clapping her hands. "Great! Then, we should probably get going then."

Alayn agreed, as she started to take the lead before stopping. "Oh yeah, by the way, I'm Alayn, and that's Oswald."

Kyra smiled, shaking Alayn's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Alayn." She turned to Oswald then. "You too, Oswald."

Oswald rolled his eyes as he pushed his way past Kyra, ignoring the marten on her shoulder as he stuck his tongue out at him again.

Kyra looked taken aback at first, but then shrugged it off, following after Alayn and Oswald who had continued on their way ahead of her. "Hey! Wait for us!"

* * *

><p><strong>RML: And thus, our story continues! Next chapter we'll be getting into our first Disney Character encounters! :D You've probably all been waiting for this, haven't you? <strong>

**?: I know I have!**

**RML: *gasp* You're not supposed to be here yet! *pushes him into closet* Phew. That was close. We don't to spoil the surprise! But, I do have to wonder...how many of you can guess which world they are on? Here's a few hints: 1. It's not any world that has been in any Kingdom Hearts game so far. 2. It's based on an Old Disney Movie, I mean, really, _really _old. and 3. The movie it's from has 5 (if you include the title song) songs that are sung in it. Also, I just want to say right now that the song sang by Oswald in this chapter is called Someone's Waiting For You from The Rescuers. **

**?: *muffled slightly because of closet* Hey, RML, Can I do the disclaimer? I won't reveal who I am or anything...**

**RML: Hmm...*thinks on it* *sigh* Oh, alright. Go ahead.**

**?: RML does not own the song Somebody Waiting For You, Kingdom Hearts, Disney in general, Oswald, Kyra or Mark. She does own Alayn though. Also, our reviewer MysteryGirl gave us permission to use Kyra and Mark, so RML went ahead and used them, as a thank you for reviewing. **

**RML: Yeah, Thanks so much for letting me use them and also reviewing! I do have a question though...who is Adrian? And...I guess that's it! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and be looking forward to the next one, which is already underway. **

**_Read and Review!_**


	4. Chapter 4

After walking through, what looked like an abandoned festival of sorts, they arrived at a small village, which, for some reason, seemed strangely empty, the addition of rain making the gloomy feeling the village was giving all the more strong.

Alayn frowned as she gazed at the village, trying to see if there was anyone in the vicinity at all. "Where…where is everyone? Nottingham is usually full of people at this hour."

"Maybe they're all having a party at someone's house!" Mark chimed in.

Kyra shook her head. "Mark, I don't think that's it. People don't usually hold a party when it's raining."

"Well, it was only a suggestion! It's not like I see any of you trying to figure out why!" The marten exclaimed.

Oswald ignored Mark as he gazed around the town. He could feel himself give an involuntary shudder, not just from the cold rain, but because of the wave of uneasiness that fell over him. "Alayn…I don't think we should be out here right now…"

Kyra grabbed Alayn's arm, stopping her from leaving the rest of them behind to investigate. "Alayn, Oswald's right. It doesn't seem safe out here. We need to find a dry place somewhere."

Alayn hesitated before nodding. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, I know a place close to here that's safe."

She stalked her way through the town until the small group came upon an old church. It was here where Alayn stopped and motioned for the others to stay back a minute. When they did, Alayn moved towards the door quietly, giving three loud knocks and a tap. A faint "Come in!" could be heard from beyond the entryway. Nodding towards the group, Alayn led the others inside before shutting the door tightly behind her.

The church was fairly small, maybe about 8 pews in it total. A small pipe organ sat to the side of the church, a small, white mouse in a tailcoat playing it softly. At the front of the church, a brown, cloaked person faced away from them, but turned towards them when he heard the door shut. The cloaked person, in realizing who it was, pulled his hood down, revealing the face of a kind, old badger. "Ah! Alayn! It's so good to see you again!"

Alayn smiled as she ran to the friar, pulling him into a hug. "It's good to see you too, Friar Tuck. How are Robin and the others? Last I remember, they had left the archery tournament in a rather…grandiose way."

The friar shook his head, "I'm sorry Alayn, but a lot has happened in the past few days." It was about now when the Friar saw the other three standing awkwardly behind them. "Oh, and who are these fine, young people?"

Alayn smiled as she pulled Friar Tuck over to them, introducing them one by one. "Well, Friar, these are my friends. This is Kyra," Kyra waved, "Mark," the young marten nodded, "And, Friar?"

"Yes, Alayn?"

"Do you remember when I told you I was looking for a young rabbit by the name of Oswald?"

The friar nodded, putting his gaze on said person. "And I take it this is him?" Alayn nodded, happiness filling her features. With the confirmation, the kind badger grabbed Oswald's hand, shaking it jovially. "Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Oswald! Your father was a kind man."

Oswald did a double take, surprised. "You knew my father?"

Friar Tuck nodded his head. "Yes, both King Richard and I knew him. He was great friend to the king."

Alayn shook her head. "And to think that Oswald was being held on this world this whole time. When help was only a couple days away."

Now it was Friar Tuck's turn to do a double take. "Wait a minute! So _that's _where you ran off to?"

Alayn nodded before explaining. "While Robin and the others were leaving the tournament in one direction, I was following a dark clad person out the other side. The night before, I had had a dream where Walt was telling me that if I saw someone that looked like that, I was to follow them, because he would lead me to Oswald. So, I followed him until he had arrived at this strange base that didn't look like it belonged in the outer Sherwood Forest. I didn't hesitate when it came to rushing inside and tearing the place apart, breaking down every door until I found him." At this, Alayn rubbed her neck sheepishly. "I have to admit, I left the place a complete wreck. So, imagine my surprise when someone actually _survived_ my break-in, attacking us where the bridge once stood."

The friar calmed himself, having almost gone into a panic when Alayn told him that. "Ok, so…now that you're back…will you help us?"

Oswald quirked an eyebrow, worry and curiosity making him ask his question. "Why…what's going on?"

The badger sighed, before motioning to the mouse at the organ, who had been watching the introductions take place, to come over here. "Little Brother, please prepare something to eat for our friends, while I tell them."

The little mouse nodded, "Sure thing, Friar. I'll get Little Sister to help me too."

The badger smiled as the young mouse scampered off, soon followed by another mouse, this one female, who followed him downstairs. "They are such wonderful friends."

Alayn smiled, "Yeah, they are. So, tell me, Friar Tuck. Just what is going on? Everyone who was here before has just…disappeared."

The friar frowned, before looking to the floor. "They've all been arrested."

"What?" Mark exclaimed. "On what charges?"

"Alayn, after you left, Prince John raised the taxes again. Nobody could pay, so they were all arrested, taken away to his castle dungeons."

Alayn gasped. "Even the children?"

Tuck nodded sadly. "Yes, even the children. And, soon, it will only be a matter of time before the Sheriff shows up here. "

"But, Friar…" Kyra started only to be shushed by Tuck as singing could be heard a short distance away. Tuck's eyes widened as he started pushing the four of them to the side hallway, out of view of the main sanctuary.

"You all must hide! If the Sheriff finds you here, he'll arrest you too!"

Oswald looked back at him, worried. "But what about you?"

The friar shook his head as he headed back. "No. You're safety comes first. And, Alayn…"

She looked him in the eyes, "Yes, Friar?"

"You need to find Robin. He can help. Now, hurry! Get downstairs. You'll be safe there."

Kyra nodded, heading downstairs before stopping, realizing Oswald and Alayn stayed behind, watching as the events in the next room unfolded. "Alayn!" she hissed. "You heard the Friar! Come on!"

Alayn just waved her off though, watching as the Sheriff went over to the Poor Box over across from the doorway they were watching from. When he took the last farthing and munny out of it, her expression turned furious.

Oswald couldn't help but feel angry as well. 'How _dare_ that man steal from people less fortunate than him!' He thought, snarling.

Kyra was having an internal debate with herself, between wanting to get downstairs and staying here in case things turned ugly. It was only a matter of seconds before her decision was made for her, when Friar Tuck forced the Sheriff out of the church, Alayn and Oswald running out of the hallway to the door leading outside. She quickly ran after them, Mark clinging on for dear life.

Outside, Friar Tuck was fighting back the Sheriff with a staff he must've picked up. Alayn covered her mouth in fear, while Oswald fought to hold back his anger. It wasn't until the Sheriff pulled an unfair move on the Friar, pulling his hood over his head before two vultures came in with a chain and clasped it around his neck, that Oswald decided to do something.

'I'm not going to let him take Friar Tuck away.' He decided, summoning his keyblade and running out after the sheriff and his henchmen, who had already started to drag the old badger away. "_Get away from him!_" the young rabbit growled, jumping up into the air before bringing his keyblade down on the Sheriff's head, gaining the attention of the corpulent wolf and his cohorts.

The hit left the Sheriff dazed for a few seconds, but he quickly regained control, focusing his attention on the angry rabbit before him. "Well, lookie what we have here, boys. Looks like we missed a few stragglers who couldn't pay their taxes." He said, also referring to Alayn, Kyra, and Mark, who had followed after when Oswald had run out. "And it looks like one of them is one of the ones who is in cahoots with that low-down thief, Robin Hood." The last part was directed towards Alayn, who only snarled in response.

"Well then, how about we cause a little more trouble before we take them away." He chuckled as he snapped his fingers, summoning about thirty some-odd heartless in front of the two girls and the marten. Oswald was cut off from helping them, as the Sheriff started to attack him, the vultures letting go of the Friar as they focused on aiding their leader.

Oswald took advantage of this, since he wanted to make sure the kind, old man was safe from harm. "Friar, run!" Oswald yelled as he dodged the attacks the larger wolf was throwing at him. The badger didn't waste any time, making fast headway for the forest opposite our team had entered from.

Alayn and Kyra took up battle stances, the former summoning her keyblade as the latter drew her sword. The young marten, knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against the Neo-Shadows that were quickly surrounding him, hid himself inside of Kyra's hood.

It was thirty seconds of total silence, none of the fighters making a move, before a bolt of lightning, followed by thunder, caused them all to jump into action, the heroes against the heartless and their master.

It had been a several months since Alayn had encountered the over-powered heartless and the fight was proving to be a struggle. At least back then, Walt had been with her. Why did that make a difference? Well, Walt could use magic. Not like the kind of magic that Maleficent could use, but more like the kind of magic that Merlin and Yen-Sid were capable of. Alayn, even though she was a Keyblade Bearer, wasn't capable of using magic in the slightest. This fact had puzzled Walt when he found out, but he soon accepted it. But, it was the very fact she couldn't use any that made this fight harder than it needed to be. It didn't matter how many times Alayn struck the Neo-Shadows. Whenever they were knocked down, they would just get back up, unscathed.

Kyra, unfortunately, didn't have it any better. She had fought heartless before, but never in her life had she fought anything this powerful. Towards the beginning of the fight, she had realized her sword was having no effect on the powerful heartless, so she had quickly switched over to her light arrows. They, at least, managed to hurt the heartless, but it still wasn't enough to take them down. She was using up too much energy as it was, the light arrows sapping it from her the more she used them.

And, as for Oswald…well, let's just say that the twelve years he'd spent in captivity hadn't done his fighting skills any good whatsoever. He'd only been fighting the large wolf for a few minutes, but he already had more scrapes and cuts than he could count. He quickly, yet non-professionally, blocked another one of the Sheriff's swipes at him, but, apparently, the swipe was a feint, because the poor rabbit soon felt a searing pain in his left side. The wolf had stabbed him square on, just narrowly missing any vital organs. The attack proved to be too much though and he soon passed out.

Alayn saw Oswald fall and she immediately went into 'Frenzy Mode', making all the heartless around her disintegrate before she ran towards Oswald's side. But, more heartless blocked her way, taking her attention off of her best friend. She tried to push through, but the heartless wouldn't stand for it, pushing her back towards the center of the fight."Ozzie!" She shouted, still having no success with getting through, even though more than half of the heartless had been destroyed

The Neo-Shadows were starting to overpower the two human girls, and their strength was fading fast. Just when Alayn and Kyra thought it was the end, the heartless disappeared back into the shadows, leaving the two girls and the marten alone. Alayn stood there, confused for a minute, before realizing the Sheriff, Oswald, and the two vultures were missing from the front of the church. She looked up the street, seeing the Sheriff running off, with an unconscious Oswald being carried away by the two birds of prey holding onto his arms, taking him away to the jail fort.

Alayn cried out in despair, before running after them. "No! Ozzie…_Ozzie!_" She kept running, but she wasn't fast enough. The three villains soon disappeared from her sight, leaving her in the middle of the street. Alayn collapsed to the ground, hot, angry tears streaming down her face. "Again! I couldn't protect him _again_! And now he's _gone_!"

Kyra was behind her, staring off into the distance in shock. But, her shock turned to anger, not towards Alayn, but towards the ones who had taken her new friend away from them. She walked up to the upset girl kneeling on the ground, her face showing a righteous fury that Mark knew all too well. She put her hand on Alayn's shoulder, a small attempt in comforting her. "Alayn. You heard what Friar Tuck said, right? We need to find Robin. He can help us get Oswald back."

It almost seemed as if Alayn didn't hear her, but when she stood up, her posture reflected her emotions. When she turned, Kyra could see the determination on her face. "You're right, Kyra. And I know exactly where to find him." She said, her eyes turned towards the forest the Friar had run to. She started running, Kyra right behind her, adrenaline filling the both of them. Alayn wasn't going to fail Oswald again. Not if she had anything to say about it.

"Robin!" Alayn cried out as she jumped over a fallen tree, not losing her speed in the slightest. "Little John, Maid Marian, Anyone?"

Kyra joined in with her, as Mark just lounged back in her hood, perfectly content with sleeping. "Hello! Anyone?"

Alayn finally had to stop, her adrenaline wearing off. She stooped herself onto a large rock, using it as a seat. She started shivering and rubbing her arms, trying to get some heat back in them. With all the running Alayn and Kyra had done, they were now soaking wet, Mark being the only one dry and warm due to his hiding place. All that wetness just added to the cold night their dreary day had turned into, leaving the two of freezing

"Alayn, are we ever going to find them? What if we don't have any time?" Kyra asked as she sat down on a stump, having worn herself out as well.

Alayn shook her head, the water having made her hair stick to her face. "I don't know, Kyra. But, they have to be close by. They have to be…"

It was around now when Mark finally decided to poke his head out, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Hey, what'd I miss?"

Kyra rolled her eyes before reaching to the back of her hood, pulling the gray marten and dropping him unceremoniously into the mud. "_That's_ what you've missed."

Mark came back up, sputtering and spitting mud out of his mouth. "_Kyra!_" he yelled as he started to shake himself, the mud flinging off of him and onto Kyra and Alayn.

"Well, _you're_ the one who asked!" Kyra yelled as she tried blocking the mud from getting on her.

Alayn didn't even bother, her thoughts too far away from their current location. 'Ozzie…' she inwardly sighed. 'I hope you're ok…'

-Jail's Castle-

Oswald was just coming to when he felt the clasp of a metal collar around his neck. The feeling of the cold wrought iron against his skin caused his eyes to jolt open in a panic. 'Not again!' he thought. 'Please tell me I'm not…'

"Well, well. Looks like the prisoner is waking up. Now, how are you feeling?" The Sheriff.

Oswald snarled at the wolf, while inwardly sighing with relief. 'Well, at least it's not those men in the black cloaks.' Oswald stood up from his sprawled out position, flinching as the pain in his side flared up again. "Well, no thanks to you, I've got a side injury that I'm sure isn't healing correctly."

The wolf chuckled as he pulled out an all-too-familiar canteen from behind his back. "And I'm sure that it won't be healing anytime soon. Not with this-" when he said this, he opened the canteen and poured every last drop of the healing water out, much to Oswald's horror. "-completely gone." After having said that, the Sheriff tossed the canteen out the window before heading towards the door. "Besides, you don't have to worry about it too much. Not with you being hanged in the morning."

Oswald's eyes widened in horror at the evil sheriff's words, as said sheriff walked out of the cell, leaving Oswald helpless in the room. "No…" Oswald sank to the floor, the spilled water to far for him to reach due to the chain attached to his collar and the wall. "Alayn…I don't know if you can hear me…but…things aren't looking to good here…I'm counting on you getting to this place in time…You're my only hope…"

Unknowingly to Oswald, a friendly face had been listening in on the little conversation the rabbit and wolf had together. His eyes widened at the mention of Alayn's name before he bolted back into the darkness, running back to the forest to report his findings.

* * *

><p><strong>RML: Ok, for those of you who guessed they were going to be in Robin Hood's world, you guessed right! :D<strong>

** And, here's an answer to MysteryGirl's review: Well, first: Yes, Mark. I am a girl. As for putting them in, you are so welcome! I needed someone to come in and save them at that point in the story, and your characters seemed perfect for it. That, and the potential of having a slight rivalry between Oswald and Mark was just too funny to pass up. Also, yes, you were right about which worlds they are in! And, your other suggestions actually have helped me get an idea of what worlds they can go to. I'm glad you liked the way they came in! It just seemed right, since you said that Kyra is a good fighter. And, well, as for Mark wanting a Gummi Ship, I was already planning on our team getting on. It just seemed right, since he's a mechanic. So, he doesn't have to worry about being without. lol**

**:P I'll have to post my chapters at school for awhile, which I only go to on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Btw, speaking of Wednesdays, the day after tomorrow is my birthday! I'm going to be turning 19! ^^ **

**But, anyways, minus all that, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Look forward to the next one, which is going to involve the big breakout scene from the movie, plus a few _other_ things as well! ;) See Ya Then!  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

The rain had finally stopped and they felt ready to continue on our search. Alayn was worried out of her mind for Oswald, but she knew she had to stay calm. Walt had always told her to try to keep straight head when on her missions, to not let worry and other things that would affect her performance take over her. She led Kyra and Mark through the damp forest, calling out every so often to see if anyone was nearby that could help them.

It had to have been around eleven 'o clock by now and the forest was pretty dark, making it harder to see the farther they went in. It was completely silent between them, minus the shouts they sent out every few minutes. So, when a rustling came from nearby them, the three of them jumped, before calming down. Alayn slowly walked towards the bush, putting her hands out in front of her slightly to show she was friendly. Then, suddenly, a large being burst from the foliage, wrapping its arms around Alayn.

Kyra and Mark got into battle stances before relaxing, laughter coming from Alayn and the being, which, now that they looked closer, looked like a bear with a green tunic and hat.

"Alayn! I'm so glad you're alright! We were worried when Friar Tuck told us about you protecting him. What happened?" The bear asked as he released his hold on her.

Alayn backed up, a grimace on her face. "It's a long story, Little John." She motioned to Kyra and Mark, who walked up to stand by her side. "These are two of my new friends, Kyra and Mark. Unfortunately, our last team member…well…he…"

"Does he happen to be a black rabbit wearing a black and blue outfit?" Another voice asked from behind them.

Alayn turned, barely noticing a red fox wearing an outfit much like Little John's, only smaller. "Yes, Robin! That's him! Do you know if he's alright?"

Robin Hood shook his head as he jumped down from his perch, landing gracefully. "No, Alayn. He's not. He's only got until dawn."

Kyra's eyes widened. "Wait…what do you mean 'until dawn'?"

"I was peeking in on the Sheriff and your friend. He wasn't in very good shape. That wound on his side is pretty bad. The last thing I heard before I left to report back here was that he was to be hanged at the first morning light." Robin said as he walked over to Alayn, putting his hand on her shoulder.

Alayn's eyes widened, both in shock and fear for her 'brother'. She pulled herself out of Robin's hold, backing away until she bumped into something soft: Little John's belly. "Then….we have to get him out! We don't have time to waste! Robin, can you lead the way to everyone else?"

Robin nodded vigorously, motioning them to follow him as he darted away. Little John patted her shoulder comfortingly before going after Robin. Kyra smiled as she took Alayn's hand, leading her after the others.

As they were running, Alayn struggled to calm her racing heart. 'They're…going to kill him? No! I…I can't let that happen!' It took her a few minutes, but after taking a few deep breaths, she could feel herself calm down, her shock and fear being replaced with determination and courage. She had her emotions under control again when they arrived at a clearing, only a few people there, waiting patiently.

The first one to notice them arrive was a now-unchained Friar, who ran to Alayn's side, grabbing hold of her arms, before hugging her. "Thank God you're all alright! I…" that's when he noticed they were minus a member of their small team. "Alayn, where's Oswald?"

Alayn looked him in the eyes before bluntly stating, "The Sheriff caught and arrested him."

Surprise was evident in the friar's eyes as the words sunk in. That young rabbit had been arrested protecting _him_. Nothing could cover the guilt that the old badger felt, his facial expression revealing all.

Alayn immediately felt bad. 'I guess I put it on there a little too hard.' She thought as she hugged the friar. "Friar, don't worry. We'll save him. We'll get him back."

When the friar smiled at her confidence, Alayn let him go and moved on to go talk with Maid Marian and Lady Cluck before telling them of the situation. "Good evening, Maid Marian. Lady Cluck. How are you two tonight?"

"We're both doing fine. I'm so sorry about your friend, Alayn. I'm sure you all will do your best to get him and the villagers out of that wretched place." Marian said, her expression solemn.

Lady Cluck ruffled her feathers defiantly, before casting her hardened gaze on Alayn. "We'll teach that old Sheriff and Prince John what for!"

Alayn smirked at those words. The support of her friends helped give her new hope in their mission. "Yeah! We can do it!" With that, Alayn hopped up onto a nearby rock, gaining the attention of her allies in the small clearing. "Alright everyone! Listen up! We have a long night ahead of us! We have to storm into the jail tonight and get the villagers and Oswald out of there! Now, we're going to have to work together to do this or else we'll all get caught and most likely killed. This is do or die, people! Now, who's with me?"

Many cries of "Yes" and one "Whatever" from Mark rang out, making Alayn feel more confident by the minute. Once the voices quieted down though, Mark raised his hand.

"Yes, Mark? What is it?"

"Ok, so all this talk of storming into that place is good and all, but…has anyone even thought up a _plan_? It's not like we can charge inside there. They'll notice us as soon as we set foot in there! And, not only that, but they have more numbers than us. The odds are completely against us." He said, his hands on his hips.

"Actually," Robin said, stepping up to stand by Alayn's side. "On the contrary, my little friend, we _do_ have a plan. I was thinking about it on the way back here."

Kyra sighed in relief. "That's good. So, what is this plan of yours, Robin?"

"I'm glad you asked." He said as he motioned for everyone to gather around. "Ok, so here's what we're going to do…"

-Later, Outer Wall of Jail—

Mark glowered at Robin, as they snuck inside. "You know, when you told us your plan, I wasn't expecting _this_."

Robin had knocked out the vulture guard, Nutsy, and had taken his place in the patrol, complete with costume. Mark had the chain around his waist, making him look like he was a prisoner.

"Shh. We don't want our cover to be blown." Robin hissed, before going back to impersonating Nutsy.

The plan was to get Mark and Robin inside before Alayn, Kyra, and Little John followed them. Then, once they got the drawbridge down, Maid Marian, Lady Cluck and Friar Tuck were to come in with a cart to get everyone out. It was risky, but it was the best they had.

The marten huffed as he dangled. "Well, let's just hurry up and get inside. This darn collar is causing a static cling in my fur."

Robin chuckled silently. "Don't worry, we're almost there. Now, do you remember what you have to do?"

Mark nodded. "Yep. I need to pretend I was trying to steal from the king, which you caught me doing. Then we're going to get inside and let the others in through the upstairs window."

"Alright. Well, here we go." Robin whispered as he walked into view of the other patrolling vulture and the Sheriff. Robin cleared his throat before changing his voice to Nutsy's. "Hey, Sheriff! Look who I caught tryin' to steal the king's gold!"

Mark inwardly smirked, before starting up his 'performance'. "Lemme go, you overgrown hummingbird! That gold is mine! That dirty Prince John took it all from me, leaving me with nothing, but the scarf around my neck!" Mark's goggles were with Kyra, since they would've been a dead giveaway that he was an off-worlder. "I'm warning you! Robin Hood will make you sorry!" he yelled, thrashing around in his 'restraint'.

The Sheriff looked over from his chair next to the door. "Well I'll be. Would you look at that? Well you, little thief, are about see the inside of Prince John's personal dungeons, courtesy of us. Take him inside, Nutsy." With that last sentence, the Sheriff unlocked the door for Robin, allowing him in. "Now, leave me be. I'm going to be right here sleeping and I want absolute quiet."

Robin nodded, before carrying a still thrashing Mark inside. They kept going until they were out of sight and hearing from the two guards outside. Robin then stripped himself of his disguise, revealing his usual attire, plus a rope, underneath. He then undid the restraint from around the marten. "Alright, we should be in the clear…for now. Come on. The window to get them in is over here." He said as Mark clambered up his shoulder, leaning against Robin's head as they went to the window, the rope wrapped around Robin's belt and the disguise under his arm.

"So…how was that? I'm good, aren't I?" Mark asked, as he rubbed his claws on his fur, overconfidence and pride revealed through his actions.

Robin laughed, as they arrived at a window overlooking the moat outside. Little John, Kyra, and Alayn waited across the water for the signal for them to come up. "Yes, you did fine, little friend. Now, keep an eye out while I throw the rope down. We don't want the Sheriff and his men coming in here before we can move ahead with our plan."

Mark saluted before jumping down, walking to the end of the hallway, watching the door that led to downstairs and outside. Robin untangled the rope from his belt before throwing it down, waving to the others as he tied the rope to a nearby post.

Alayn was the first to see it, motioning for the others to follow her as they crossed the water. Alayn got to the rope first, climbing up so fast it seemed like she was flying, leaving Kyra and Little John far below. Robin helped her inside before standing by the window to help the other two when they got up.

It wasn't too long before they were all together again. Robin pulled them close, Mark coming back over and getting onto Kyra's shoulder before Robin started to inform them of the next step they'd need to take. "Ok, so, now, we need to split up into teams of two. Now, who's going with Alayn to-"

Alayn put her hand up, interrupting Robin. "Hold it right there, Robin. I'm going to go find him…_alone._"

Kyra looked at her shocked. "Alayn…!"

Alayn shook her head. "No, you're going to need all the help you can get to get the villagers and gold. It would be easier if I went by myself. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Robin looked her in the eyes before nodding. "Alright. I can tell you aren't going to change your mind. Alayn, go to him. He should be three hallways down from here. Everyone else, with Little John. I'm going back outside to pay a visit to the king's treasury."

"Hold up there, fox. Did you say…treasury?" Mark asked, diamonds in the place of his eyes.

Kyra rolled her eyes before smacking the marten upside the head. "_Forget it, Mark._ You're not going with him."

"Aww! Why no-o-ot?" Mark whined into her ear.

"Because you'll only make it harder for Robin. Besides, we need you with us to help free everyone." Kyra reprimanded him.

"Oooh..._fine_." Mark pouted.

Kyra sighed, muttering something about greedy, annoying martens under her breath before turning her attention back to the others, all of who were trying to stifle their laughter. "Ok, so…Robin. Is that it?"

"Yes, it is, milady. Is everyone ready?" He asked, his attitude turning serious. Everyone nodded. "Okay then. Good luck."

With those words, everyone broke apart, with Robin putting his disguise back on and walking back towards the door, Little John, Kyra, and a still pouting Mark heading towards the far hallway, with Alayn following behind until the hallway came to a fork, with the team of three going one way and Alayn going the other.

Alayn wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, having already traveled swiftly through the three hallways. She looked through the window of each door, trying to find a hint of a rabbit ear or a white face against the dark. It wasn't until she came across the last door that she had any luck. The door had a sign on it that said "Death for Treason" in big, black letters, Prince John's signature underneath.

'This must be it!' Alayn thought as she summoned her keyblade. Pointing her keyblade at the door, she thought of the door unlocking, a soft click telling her it worked. She pulled the heavy door open, peeking in before running inside. "Ozzie!" She exclaimed softly.

He was lying unconscious on his back, a dark pool of blood surrounding his left side, where he had been stabbed by the Sheriff hours ago. "No…" She whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she kneeled down next to him. She would've started to sob if it wasn't for the fact that a small movement from his chest stopped her. Her eyes widened, the tears slowing to a stop. "Ozzie…?" For a split second, Alayn was overjoyed that her friend was still alive, but then the deep, dark truth dawned on her. _He was dying right in front of her._

Alayn shook her head. 'I'm not letting him die.' She thought as she reached for her canteen. She was hoping and praying that the miracle water would work as she gave him the last of it. After every last drop was poured into his mouth, Alayn capped the water container back before putting the strap over her head and beneath her jacket again. Now, all she could do was wait.

Like last time, it took a few minutes to come into effect, but, when it did, the wound itself closed up completely, leaving only a small scar. His breathing became regular, his lungs now being filled up with enough air. It wasn't soon after that the young rabbit's eyes fluttered open, though blurry at first.

Alayn smiled softly, seeing that her friend was alright again. "Ozzie?"

The rabbit's ears perked up at his name before he lifted his head. His eyes alighted when he saw Alayn, jumping up and into her arms, his arms wrapped around his neck. "Alayn! Thank goodness!"

The relief Alayn was feeling was great as her best friend and 'brother' was in her arms, the two of them tightly holding onto each other, the fear of losing the other too much to bear. But, a small voice in the back of Alayn's head told her that they shouldn't stay there long, the chances of them getting caught getting larger the longer they stayed there. "Ozzie…I'm so glad you're alright. But, listen, we have to get going. The others are going to need our help."

Oswald nodded, pulling back from Alayn, his eyes glistening from the tears and relief. Alayn stepped back, summoning her keyblade again before unlocking Oswald's chain collar, setting him free.

Oswald stood up and stretched, relieved to find the pain gone from his body. Shooting a grateful smile at Alayn, he summoned his keyblade as well as the two of them ran back down the hallway, intent on helping the others.

They didn't run into any trouble on the way, and, when they got to the large cell where their friends and allies were, they started to laugh giddily. Inside, everyone had already been freed from their shackles and was helping Alan-a-Dale and Kyra with pulling bag after bag of gold into the room. But it wasn't the sight of them pulling it in that made them laugh. No, it was the sight of Mark swimming gleefully in a 'sea of gold', as the little marten so blatantly put it, where, in reality, it was only enough to fill two bags.

Everyone turned in their direction when they heard the laughter and Kyra let go of the rope, rushing to her friends and pulling Oswald into a big hug. "Oh my goodness! You're ok! I was worried that…you know…"

Oswald smiled, patting Kyra on her back. "Hey, I'm fine, Kyra." Kyra smiled as she stepped back.

"Well, it's a good thing you are. It looks like we're almost done here. Robin managed to get inside Prince John's room without a hitch and has been sending bag after bag in here. The bags aren't just full of gold either. Some of them have munny in them. Little John said that any munny that gets sent over here can go with us once we leave. Also, Little John and some of the others have already gone downstairs with some of the bags. I hope they're doing alright."

Alayn frowned at this. "Do you think they'll need any help?"

Kyra shook her head. "No, I'm sure they're fine."

Alayn grinned as she walked past Kyra. "Well, that's good to hear. Now, come on. Let's help them get the rest of it over here so we can leave."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Alayn." Oswald said, making his way to the pulley system that was set up in the window. Oswald, Alayn, and Kyra all started to pull, the weight of the bags making them have to strain to get them across.

Finally, it was down to the last few bags, Robin Hood grabbing hold of the line with one in his arms. But, something wasn't right, as they all soon realized. The line didn't want to move, as if something or someone was trying to pull it back. They gave it their all though and, in a matter of seconds, the game of 'tug of war' was won and the last bags made their way to them, though, not without the sounds of Prince John calling for his guards.

They all realized that there wasn't much time and there was a mad dash for the bags, Kyra grabbing the two bags that Mark had been swimming in and swiftly filled them, pulling Mark sharply off his feet as she followed ran over to Alayn and Oswald, who had waited for her. The four of them raced through the jail, weapons out and ready.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs which lead to outside, they stopped in their tracks. Prince John and about a dozen rhinoceros guards swept past them, breaking a hole into the other side of the wall. The hole didn't help the stability of the building, which began to fall apart around them. Wasting no time, they raced for the now-broken doorway, narrowly being hit by a falling support beam as they went running out into the chaos outside.

Arrows were flying every which way, making them have to stay light on their feet as they raced through the courtyard, trying to catch up with the others. They could hear the gate being pulled up and they knew they had to hurry. Another arrow barely missed hitting Kyra's head, which she destroyed in midair with her sword, not even missing a beat.

When they arrived at where the cart was, Little John and Lady Cluck were already starting to pull it out. But, little Tagalong was left behind, her doll clutched tightly to her chest as she ran after the moving cart. "Mama, Mama, wait for me!" She yelled out.

Oswald, as well as Robin, heard the little girl's cries and, in tandem, ran to get her from different sides. Oswald managed to get there first and grabbed the small girl in his arms, running to the gate and getting under and out just before it crashed down, leaving Alayn, Kyra, and Robin on the other side. He set the small rabbit girl down before running back to the gate. "Alayn, Kyra, Robin!" he yelled out.

Alayn turned to him, a stoic look in her eyes. "Ozzie. Go. We'll be fine."

Oswald glared as he hit against the wooden stronghold. "No, Alayn. I'm not leaving you, Kyra, or Robin in there! Nobody's getting left behind, not tonight."

Mark, who, in all the confusion, had hidden himself in Kyra's hood again, poked his head out. "He's right, you guys. We need to stay together."

Kyra shook her head as she reached for him, pulling him out of her hood before she pushed him in-between the bars, the marten landing on his stomach when he hit the ground. "No, you guys need to go. _Now_. If you stay any longer, you'll only put everyone else in danger." Her eyes darting over to the cart, which had stopped, before she continued. "Stay with Little John and help protect the cart. The three of us will be fine."

Mark looked back and forth between the cart and the girls before he spoke in finality. "Kyra, you had better survive this or _so help me…_"

Kyra smiled sadly before shooing him away, the small marten making a mad dash for the cart. After watching him leave, she ran to help Robin, who had been holding off the guards while the girls had talked.

Oswald sighed softly before grabbing Alayn's hand through the small space between the bars. "Alayn…_be careful._" He whispered.

Her expression didn't change as she nodded, squeezing his hand before letting go and running into the fray, leaving the rabbit behind by himself. Taking one last glance at her, Oswald turned and ran for the cart, intent on carrying out what Kyra had said. 'First, I'll protect the cart, but, afterwards, I'm going to come back for you. All of you.' He thought as he climbed in, his keyblade ready. He didn't want to take any chances of them being attacked as the cart raced away.

* * *

><p><strong>RML: Urgh. I don't like this chapter. :P I feel like I forced it out, making it not come out as good as I'd hoped. *shrugs* Oh well. At least it's done. And next chapter is Boss Chapter! For those of you who have seen the movie, you will notice some major differences in what happened in this compared to what happened in the movie. But, it was the best I could come up with. I didn't want to go the same direction as the movie, since things were already changed up as it was. So, anyways, It's my birthday today! ^^ I'm 19! :D Can you guys believe it? :D It's just too bad I have to go to my math class that start in 40 minutes. :P Oh well. At least I get to get off my fast of soda, candy, and chocolate for today. And, I'm telling you right now, I'm am going to indulge myself profusely tonight! I think for tonight, after my parents go to sleep, I'll stay up, eating candy, drinking soda, and watching every single 'Oswald the Lucky Rabbit' cartoon I can find on youtube. lol <strong>

** Oswald: *walks in* Hey, RML! You might want to hurry! You need to be leaving soon for class! **

**RML: *looks at watch, eyes widen* Oh Man! Ozzie, you're right! Here! *hands Oswald the disclaimer sheet* Do the disclaimer! I need to brush my teeth and get my boots on! *runs off***

**Oswald: *watches her leave, confused* Oh...kay. So, let's see what it says...*looks at sheet* RML doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, me, Robin Hood, or any of the other characters. She also doesn't own Mark *mutters under breath irately at the name* or Kyra. MysteryGirl does. She does own Alayn though. Anyways, hope you all liked the chapter...though I didn't like almost dying...*shudders at the thought***

**RML: *calls from bathroom, tooth brush and paste in her mouth, making her words come out weird* Offie, coold ou feas furm off myee motes fo nest shapter?**

**Oswald: 0.o Um...could you repeat that, RML? I didn't quite catch what you said...**

**RML: *spitting could be heard* I _said_, could you please turn off my notes for next chapter?**

**Oswald: ...*whispers to self* She left them open...? *yells back* Sure thing! *walks over to computer, where notes are open in a word document* Okay, let's see what they say before I close it real fast...*reads through notes, eyes widen the farther he goes down* She's going to do _WHAT _to Alayn? Oh no...*can hear RML coming back to room* Oh shoot! *hurriedly closes the document after saving what she had* **

**RML: *Walks in* Ok, I'm leaving Ozzie. I'm leaving you in charge while I'm gone. *ruffles the rabbit's fur a little, then smiles coldly* Just be sure not to do anything to Mark while I'm gone...or my keyblade will run through you both, ok? **

**Oswald: Wait...you have a keyblade? **

**RML: *summons Angel's Heart, which is a blue and purple keyblade with a heart shaped hilt and an angel's wing as the blade* Yep. So, you going to be good?**

**Oswald: *gulps, before nodding head***

**RML: *Beams* Good. Then I'll be back! We'll be back with pizza and the ingredients for the ice-cream cake, so don't have anyone eat anything while I'm gone! *Runs out after hearing parents call her* Later!**

**Oswald: *breathes sigh of relief after hearing car leave* Thanks goodness. She didn't know I looked. Now, I guess she would want me to tell you to Read and Review. Think of it as a very nice birthday present for her! *winks* Anyway, I'm going to let the others know about the party and stuff. See you all next chapter!  
><strong>


	6. Chapter 6

"Things aren't looking too good for us…are they, Kyra?"

Kyra glared over at Alayn. "I would say not, considering they _caught us!_"

It was true. Soon after the cart had left, the two girls had been captured, only Robin escaping the guards' grip. Kyra was still struggling to get out of the rhinoceros guard's grip as they were being led to the gallows. The gallows had formally been reserved for Oswald, but, now, two ropes were waiting for their necks. The light of the rising sun shined in their eyes as they were forced to their knees in front of Prince John, fingering the drawn sword he held.

"Well, it is good to see you again, Miss Alayn." He said snidely.

Alayn avoided his gaze, knowing that she looked, she would lash out at him. Unfortunately, this only angered the prince more, forcing her head to be face-to-face with his.

"_You will look at me when I am talking to you!"_ He exclaimed, his patience wearing thinner than it already was. "Now, answer me _this_, Alayn. Why did you barge into _my_ domain, release _my_ prisoners, and steal _my_ gold? Was it because I took your _little friend_?"

"None of this belongs to _you_, you mamma's boy! It belongs to _King Richard_!" Alayn growled, spitting into his face, causing him to yell out angerly.

He wiped off the spit before pointing his sword at Alayn's neck, who only glared back, her defiance only being met with anger. "Do. _Not_. Mention. My. Brother." Prince John hissed at her before motioning for the guards to pull them back up. "For that, Alayn, both you and your friend will hang. Take them!"

The girls glanced to each other, a small, silent agreement being shared between them as the Sheriff came up behind them with chains. When he got just behind them, both the girls low-kicked the guards holding them, causing them to fall on top of the sheriff, giving them a clear path to the door to the prince's quarters.

The two of them jumped over the guards' heads, Prince John yelling angrily from behind them. The Sheriff, having quickly pushed the two Rhinos off of him, had made a grab for them, just barely missing them by the tips of his fingers. The two girls didn't stop, dashing in the door and up the stairs to where Robin had gotten all of the gold earlier. All of what took place happening in a matter of ten seconds.

Prince John was fuming, seeing as how they had escaped so easily. "_Sheriff! Get them! Now!" _He exclaimed as he started to jump up and down madly, furious beyond belief that that _girl_ had gotten away _again. _

The Sheriff grinned wickedly, his fangs glinting with the early morning sunlight. "With _pleasure._"

The two heroines were both gasping for breath as they reached the last step, their bodies collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. It took them a few minutes to gain their breath back, Kyra being the first to speak.

"Well, that went better than I expected." She said, pushing herself back to her feet before turning to Alayn, her hand held out.

Alayn took it, smiling gratefully for the help. "Yeah, I didn't for a second think that would work."

Kyra looked around them, taking quick note of the broken balcony and second set of stairs that led up to the top of the tower as she gazed at her surroundings. "Well, what now? We can't go back down."

"Well, there's always _up_."

The two girls turned their head to the new voice. "Robin!" They exclaimed.

"It's good to see you two young ladies are alright." He said as he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on. "I just one minute away from going down there to help you. But, I guess you two can take care of yourselves."

"Well, now that the three of us are together, we can get out of here." Kyra declared as she turned towards the other stairs, leading the three of them to the stairs that led to the upper level. "If what Robin says is true, then we can get out through the top."

"None of you are going anywhere, except into a hole six feet under."

The three took battle stances as the Sheriff jumped in front of them, a dark gleam shining in his eyes as he stared them down, his sword drawn.

Kyra glowered at the large wolf, her sword in her hands. She cried out angrily as she ran towards him, her sword meeting his in a spray of sparks. The sudden movement of her attack started the battle, Alayn summoning her keyblade and running forward to take a swipe at the Sheriff as Robin notched an arrow and fired, narrowly missing the Sheriff's gut as he dodged out of the way.

Alayn and Kyra were both getting a few good hits in, but it wasn't doing as much as they'd hoped. Every time they tried to knock him to the ground, he would just shrug it off before pushing them back. To them, it was almost as if…he was _toying_ with them.

Alayn and Kyra jumped back away as the sneering wolf lashed out again, his sword cutting Alayn on the stomach. They needed to regroup. But, when they got back together, something terrible happened.

A large, unformed heartless stood slowly behind the Sheriff, the three heroes eyes widening as it pulled its hand back to strike. The Sheriff looked them oddly. "What is it ya'll are staring at? Do I have something on my face or something?"

Kyra shook her head, her index finger pointing behind him shakily.

The Sheriff scoffed, thinking that they were just trying to trick him. "Oh yeah, sure." He rolled his eyes as he slowly started to turn. "You really don't expect me to believe that there…is…some…thing…uh oh."

Those were the last words the Sheriff uttered as the Heartless gave out an unearthly cry, its hand shooting into his chest as it took his heart. The Sheriff yelled loudly as his body started to transform, his fur turning to a sleek, black skin covered in darkness. The claws on his paws grew sharper and longer, until they were about a foot long, each one filed so they were sharp enough to tear someone in two with a single swipe. The last thing to change was his eyes. What were once gleaming golden eyes were now a glaring red, the blood lust in them visible from even a mile away. Darkness was steaming off of him, leaving wisps of it everywhere as they flew up and around him.

Alayn, Kyra, and Robin had watched with wide, almost fearful eyes as this transformation took place. They flinched back as another unearthly cry was let out, followed by a wide burst of flames.

They dove to the side, Robin's tail narrowly catching as the flames flew past them, hitting the curtains leaving to Prince John's former room. They soon spread around them, the flames eating everything that was flammable, making their battle more dangerous as the conflagration trapped them in a ring of fire with the deadly heartless.

After the heartless had gotten them scattered and out of its way for a minute, it pulled a giant slab of the brick wall off and threw it in front of the stairway, blocking off their only escape route. Once it made sure it's prey wouldn't escape, it turned and started to stalk back to them.

The three of them quickly pushed themselves off the ground and ran at it, their respective weapons held high, But the heartless racked it's claws across their chests, sending them sprawled out on the ashen floor.

Alayn coughed as ash and noxious fumes were inhaled into her lungs, before yelling out to the others. "Guys! We can't stay here!" She strained as she pushed herself up, opening and closing her eyes to try to stop the sting the smoke and falling ash was giving them. "If we do, we'll die from the poison in the air!"

Kyra, who was a short distance away, was in no better shape. But, she found the strength to get up when the heartless lunged at her. "Alayn, we have to take him out first! If we don't, then it could go after the village!"

"She's right. That thing won't stop until everything is destroyed. We have to kill it!" Robin yelled through the flames as he tried to hit the heartless Sheriff with an arrow, only for it to turn to ash when it hit the flames. "Alayn, Kyra, my arrows aren't going to do any good!" Robin cried as the heartless jumped through the fire to his side, slashing his chest and back as it circled him with a speed that shouldn't have been physically possible.

When Alayn heard Robin yelping in pain from the physical abuse, she ran full throttle at the heartless, hitting it with an upper strike, followed by a stab to its bulging stomach.

The heartless glared at her fiercely before it swiped at her again, leaving more deep gashes in her abdomen. Alayn stifled a cry as she blocked and countered its next attack, forcing the heartless back.

The attacks only seemed to make the heartless angrier at them, as it let out a loud otherworldly roar, shadow heartless rising up from the floor to meet them and help their master. Alayn would've laughed about the fact it had sent Neoshadows earlier, only to send the weakest of the weak after them now, but she was in too much pain to do so.

Kyra, who had been helping Robin to recover while Alayn had fought the Sheriff Heartless, ran back in, three separate light arrows at the ready. With a single, loud war cry, Alayn fired the arrows, each one meeting its mark. The each arrow had flew through several heartless at once, once again making the room free of Shadow Heartless, leaving only the Sheriff there.

Kyra glanced over at Alayn, who met her gaze with a pained, but determined look. Just like before, the two of them came to a silent, but mutual agreement before running at the heartless, Kyra leading the way. Right when they were about to reach it, Kyra stopped, allowing Alayn to jump and use her shoulders as a launching pad. Alayn spun in midair, her keyblade looking like a buzz saw as she cut through its front, leaving a decent sized hole where she had went through. Kyra didn't bother to give it time to recover, sending a light arrow straight through where its heart used to be.

A dark, painful scream filled all of their ears, causing Alayn and Kyra to fall to their knees, their hands over their ears, as the heartless became engulfed in the light from the arrow, the air quickly being sucked in to its center before exploding out, shattering the barrier that had covered the way to the upstairs, leaving their escape route wide open for them.

Kyra instantly grinned when she realized that, but her grin disappeared just as fast when she realized the fire that was around them was quickly weakening the tower, leaving the three vulnerable to a cave-in.

"Is everyone alright?" Alayn called out as she slowly stood up, dizziness and nausea starting to overtake her.

Answers from Kyra and a just-recently awoken Robin came to Alayn's ears, filling her with relief. "Ok, does anyone need any help getting out of here?"

"No. I'm alright." Robin said as he ran to her side, Kyra at his heels. "Now, come on! We don't have any time to lose." He said as he started to run up the stairs. The fire hadn't been able to make it to the stair earlier due to the 'roadblock' it had had covering it, so now the flames were making quick work of them, making them much more treacherous to walk over. But, the three didn't care; they just ran, hoping that they could get to the top before the fire did.

Meanwhile, outside of the castle walls, four familiar figures were watching the tower worriedly. Oswald had a feeling that they were in there. At that time, he wanted more than anything to run up there and help them, but with Little John helping to calm him down, he'd been able to suppress the urge. Now, they all simply waited, hoping for a sign that their three friends were alright.

Mark was next to Oswald, glaring up at the tower, hoping that maybe, just maybe, if he started at it hard enough, they would soon appear, unscathed.

The other two, Little John and Skippy, who was Robin's biggest fan, just putting it mildly, were watching the tower as well, worry and fear in their eyes as the fires raged on in the tower.

The four of them hadn't said a word to each other as they had listened to the battle. They were too afraid to, thinking that a single word could possibly shatter all the hope that they held onto. So, when Skippy let out a fearful cry of "Look!", they all turned their heads to the top of the tower. Alayn, Kyra, and Robin were scrambling up to the very top, trying to get away from the flames.

Apparently, they weren't the only ones to notice them escape, as Prince John yelled out to his archers to "Kill them!", dozens of arrows shooting into the air simultaneously. The four watched in horror as their friends jumped from the tower, dropping into the drink below, a ways from where they were. They all came up for air, only to have to dive back down again, the arrows still being shot at them, this time with more precision.

Alayn swam behind Kyra and Robin as they made their way to the water's edge, narrowly avoiding the arrows as they flew into the water after them. Just when they were about to make it though, Alayn noticed an arrow that was shooting faster than the others…and it was heading right towards an unsuspecting Robin. She painfully forced herself to go faster, getting over him just as the arrow lodged into the left side of her back, missing her kidneys by only a few inches.

Alayn gasped, bubbles shooting around her as she tried to take another breath, only to take in water instead. Water was filling her lungs fast and Alayn started to lose consciousness.

The four friends who were waiting for them on land could only hold their breaths, hoping that they would come back up soon. Fear quickly overlapped them though, blood rising up to the top of the water catching their attention. Oswald could feel a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and it soon grew stronger when Kyra and Robin burst to the surface, an injured Alayn being held up by them.

Little John ran out to them, lifting Alayn up into his arms as Kyra and Robin climbed onto the ground, water dripping from their soaked and singed clothes and fur/hair. Oswald ran up to Alayn as Mark ran to Kyra, the two of them yelling out the names of their respective partners.

"Alayn!" Oswald cried out when he saw the condition she was in. It scared him to see her like this, blood oozing out of her various places on her body. What scared him the most though, was the fact that she _wasn't breathing._ "Guys! She's not breathing!"

Kyra's eyes bolted open from their closed state, her body having been leaned over so she could catch her breath as Mark was looking over her. "She must have taken in too much water when she was hit. We need to do CPR!"

Robin shook his head, water flying around with the movement. "We can't. Not with that arrow in her back. We'll have to take it out first."

"Well, we don't have time to lose! Let's go!" Oswald said, his voice wavering with panic.

Robin nodded. "I'll do it. Little John, set her down on her front." Robin turned to Oswald as Little John did so. "Oswald, I'll need you to hold her front off of the ground. We don't want her wounds to get infected with dirt." Oswald nodded and sat in front of her, keeping her head and shoulders on his lap, levitating her chest above ground. "Kyra, I'll need you to keep pressure on the wound, ok?" Kyra nodded as well, putting her hands on either side of the puncture and pushing, helping to make the blood flow slow down a little.

Robin knelt down next to Kyra, and, after giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, leaned over Alayn and started easing the arrow out, being sure to keep it aligned with the entry point so it wouldn't hit anything else. The seconds felt like hours, but it eventually came out all the way, the tip smothered in deep, red blood.

Everyone grimaced at the sight of it, knowing what the blood possibly meant. Robin tossed it disgustingly away before tearing off a part of his tunic, wrapping it around the wound to stop anymore blood from escaping the open wound.

After doing that, he and Oswald carefully flipped her onto her back, being careful of the bandage that had just been wrapped around her abdomen.

"Everybody, stand back." Robin whispered, not wanting to draw the attention of the guards that were searching for them in the surrounding area. They knew they didn't have much time, so everyone, minus Oswald, obeyed Robin's order.

Robin raised his eyebrow in confusion at first, but nodded his head in understanding when he saw Oswald grab hold of Alayn's hand, cradling it carefully in his own.

"I'm not leaving her…" Oswald whispered as he met Robin's gaze, his mind made up.

Robin smiled softly. "I understand." Taking a deep breath of his own to help calm his racing heart, Robin started to push against her chest rhythmically, keeping in 4/4 time as he gave her CPR.

During this, Kyra and Mark kept watch over the bushes, being sure to keep out of sight of the guards. A few came by, but not close enough to see them. Though, to Kyra, it was just a _little_ too close for comfort.

She turned back to Robin and Oswald, kneeling down next to the latter. "How is she?" she asked quietly, as to not disturb Robin's concentration.

Oswald closed his eyes, trying his best to keep his cool during this dire situation. "Nothing yet."

Kyra frowned, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. She'll be okay…I know she will…She has to be." She whispered the last part as she rubbed his shoulder, trying to make him feel just a little bit better. She hadn't known Alayn as long as Oswald had, though, unknown to her, he had only met her days earlier, but she saw Alayn as a friend that she could count on. That…and the fact that Alayn was her only friend that was a girl.

And, as for Oswald, he felt his grip on Alayn's hand tighten as tears started to fill his eyes. 'Please Alayn…you can make it…I know you can…please…"

After another minute, Robin finally stopped, shaking his head. "Nothing." He sighed sadly. "No response...just…nothing."

Oswald's eyes widened before anger flooded his vision. "So, you're just giving up on her?" he hissed.

Robin sighed again. "I'm sorry, Oswald. I've done all I can."

Oswald glared before he let go of Alayn's hand and shook Kyra's hand off his shoulder, putting his hands in the same position as Robin's had been moments earlier. "Fine. If you won't help her, then I _will_."

Robin shook his head. "Oswald, she isn't going to come back. I'm sor-"

A small choked cough escaped from Alayn's lips after Oswald gave her mouth-to-mouth, blood dribbling out of her mouth. Oswald spit out the excess blood that had gotten into his mouth as he had done it, wiping his mouth on his arm before smiling down at Alayn. "You were saying, Robin?"

Robin's shocked expression melted down to a relieved grin. "Well, I guess I was wrong."

"Alayn!" Kyra semi-whispered happily, grabbing hold of Alayn's hand, squeezing it in relief. "I'm so glad you're alright."

Alayn slowly opened her eyes, revealing them to be slightly glazed over from all the pain she was feeling. All she could see at first was colors, but her eyes soon adjusted to reveal her friends. The numbness she was feeling quickly gave way to a fiery pain in her back, causing her to gasp in pain. If she had realized how hurt she was, she wouldn't have agreed to come back.

Alayn remembered clearly what had happened to her before she woke up. She had been in an almost empty room, the only things, or, should I say, _people_, there being herself, her parents, and Walt. They had hugged her and had congratulated her on a job well done with saving her friends. She had been so happy, seeing them again. But, her happiness shattered when they had told her she had to go back. She had wanted to stay with them and had stated that clearly, but they told her that she still had a destiny to fulfill, lives to save.

Before she had come back, she remembered the promise she had given Walt while having been in-between life and death. She reached slowly for Oswald's hand, grabbing his attention as she tried to speak.

"O…Ozz…ie…" She whispered before gasping again.

"Shh, Alayn. Don't push yourself. You're still hurt." He spoke quietly.

She shook her head, however painful it was. "No…I…n…eed…to…te…ll…yo…u… Y…ou…fa…ther…sa…ys…hi." With that final word, pain became too much for her, her body succumbing to a restless sleep.

Oswald's eyes watered at that. She had seen his father? He quickly wiped the tears away as Robin stood over them, kneeling down and picking Alayn up, bridal style.

"We should go…those guards are getting closer with each sweep around here they take. They haven't stopped looking for us since you guys jumped. It's only a matter of time before they find us here." Little John said from his lookout perch in a nearby tree.

Skippy jumped down from a lower branch, meeting the others down below. "I know where we can go!" He whispered excitedly.

Robin nodded his head. "Ok, lead the way, Skippy." He smiled as he chased after the young rabbit child, the others following closely behind.

* * *

><p>A short ways away, a brown-cloaked figure watched them as they ran off. He was the reason the guards hadn't gone in that direction. He wanted to take care of them himself. He pulled a silver dagger from his sleeve as he took off after the small group of heroes, another, albeit <em>smaller<em>, figure slithering right behind him. He would make sure they rued the day they messed with his plans.

* * *

><p><strong>RML: AACK! GOMENASAI! GOMENASAI! GOMENASAI! D: I Am So SORRY That This Took Me So Long! School happened and Writers Block Happened, Plus Lack Of Inspiration. But, now that I've had a full dose of Epic Mickey, have gotten to cuddle with my Oswald Plushie, and have gotten to play my new Ocarina, plus watched all the Oswald The Lucky Rabbit cartoons, I FINALLY got the inspiration I needed! So, Freak, you can let Myst out of the closet now! ;) I'm sure she doesn't want to be stuck with a dead rooster for much longer, am I right? ;D BTW, Thank You Guys So Much For the Reviews! And, I'm sorry if this chapter isn't as well-written as the others. I had A LOT of trouble with this chapter. :P But, I'm back! And I'll get to the next chapter soon! I already have the next chapter planned out! ;D Anyways, enjoy the update! <strong>

**Oswald: Uh...RML, you didn't do the disclaimer. **

**RML: :| I don't wanna do the disclaimer! D: I want you to be mine! **

**Oswald: *pats RML's Shoulder* Yeah, I know. But, you can't have me. I belong to Disney, as well as the Robin Hood movie. You don't own that either.**

**RML: :( *Growns, before going to emo corner* At least I have my plushie of you...and my dvd set of you...and my poster...and my Ocarina of Time...and my copy of Epic Mickey...and-**

**Oswald: *shakes head* Well, anyways, ignoring RML for the moment, just read and review! And, don't worry! I'll make sure she gets the next chapter out soon! Thanks Again Guys! Bye! **

**RML: *Cries loudly about not owning her favorite rabbit***

**Oswald: -_-' *Sighs* *headdesks, then leaves*  
><strong>


	7. Author's Note

**RML: Okay, Major Author's Message From Me! **

**Ozzie: *rolls eyes* RML, I think they can tell by the name of the chapter. **

**RML: ^^; Right, sorry. Well, anyway, I come to a message to you all! This message is regarding the lack of updates and also an update on how the next chapter is coming. Now, the reason why I haven't updated in the past month and a half is because:**

**I've been very busy trying to get done with this semester of College.**

**I've had a lot of focus on my Mother 3 fanfiction that hasn't been updated in a year. My friend and I were able to get together and work on putting the next chapter together (for the most part) and also get all of our ideas for the story together in a sensible…togetherness…Anyways, we'll try to have that story up and running again soon, for those of you who were reading it. :) **

**Oswald: Wow…Sensible togetherness? *scoffs* Yeah, that makes sense.**

**RML: Well, I didn't know what else to say! **

**Oswald: *rolls eyes* Well, please continue RML. What else were you going to say? **

**RML: Oh, right! And, 3. Well…I've recently have gotten a fascination with Doctor Who and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, especially regarding Doctor Whooves. ^^; Please, nobody make fun of that. **

**Oswald: *snickers* You like My Little Pony?**

**RML: *blushes before glares* Yes, I do! Do you have a problem with that, Ozzie?**

**Oswald: *snorts in laughter* No, I just find it *chokes on laughter* funny, that's all.**

**RML: *rolls eyes* Well, you know, if I remember correctly, you watched the first 3 episodes of it and you didn't seem to mind it at all. *smirks in Ozzie's direction***

**Oswald: *eyes widen in horror* I can't believe you just told EVERYONE that! D: I thought we agreed that we weren't going to mention that!**

**RML: I had my fingers crossed. Problem? *troll face***

**Oswald: *glares* You know what? I'm not talking to you. You can finish the note on your own. Heck! You can finish this story on your own because I'm done! *Walks off***

**RML: What? Ozzie, NO! You can't leave! You're one of the main characters! Wait, come back! *starts to run after, but then stops, remembering author's note* **

**Okay, I'm going to hurry up and finish this up. So, for now, I'm sorry to say that you probably shouldn't expect this chapter to come out until AFTER May 11****th****. The reason being is that that is the last day of this college semester, meaning I'll have more time for writing and other stuff that I'd like to do. So, please, be patient with me. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait and for the cliffhanger. But, don't worry. I already have about half of the chapter written out, so you can expect it a few days or so after the 11****th****. ;) Until then guys, I'll talk to you later! *starts to leave again, but then remembers something else* **

**Oh yeah! I almost forgot! Mysterygirl, do you have a deviantart account? And, if so, could you please link it to me so we can talk on there? Having your help with this story would be greatly appreciated. That is, if you're willing. And, if you don't have a deviantart, is there any other way I can contact you? Other than that other account you told me about? It would definitely help me greatly. :) Thanks! **

**And so, with all of that said, I'll see you guys later! *turns to run off after Oswald* Ozzie! Come back! We Need YOU! **


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